Commissioners reviewed a proposal to establish a city-managed public health department that would monitor disease outbreaks, refer residents for treatment, and work to reduce health disparities.

Commissioner Tanya presented the proposal, saying the new department’s role would be "providing the conditions that allow every resident of the city to live a healthy life," including monitoring disease outbreaks, referring people for treatment and implementing strategies to address health disparities and barriers to good health. She recommended a stepwise approach that would require the framework be created first and would delay opening or full funding to later phases so council could assess budgeting and partners.

Members discussed potential community partners named in the meeting, including Reading Hospital, the Reading Health Foundation, Penn State (St. Joseph) health programs, the Berks County community health system and local foundations. Commissioners emphasized the need to define an implementation timeline and to include community education and bilingual materials as part of a rollout.

What happens next: staff and commissioners will draft staged language suitable for a valid charter question and identify partner organizations and estimated timelines; no formal vote was taken at this meeting.