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County health grants include EPA air monitoring, rideshare expansion and Healthy Start award; community speakers press procurement questions
Summary
Shelby County Health Department won initial EPA funds to site an air monitor in South Memphis and TDOT rideshare funds to expand vanpools; a HRSA Healthy Start award (LiveLong) and a proposed contract with the University of Memphis to do data work drew praise for services but also community concern about a single‑source contract and lack of minority‑led alternatives.
The Shelby County Health Department presented several grant actions to committees on Oct. 23: a small EPA amendment ($7,000) to begin purchases for a planned air‑monitoring station in South Memphis (the program total approved by EPA is $411,000), an amendment to expand TDOT‑funded rideshare vanpools, and a multi‑year HRSA Healthy Start grant to launch 'LiveLong' perinatal services.
Dr. Michelle Taylor said the new air monitor will fill a gap — the county currently operates five monitors but not one in South Memphis — and that station data are public records and available from the county’s environmental bureau and the EPA. On rideshare, the department said additional grant funds would expand vanpool coverage; staff said exact counts of added vans depend on employer demand.
On the Healthy Start grant, Dr. Taylor said the program will place graduate assistants from the University of Memphis and LeMoyne‑Owen College as health navigators and support a mobile prenatal education unit. The health department proposed a contract with the University of Memphis for data collection and analysis to meet federal reporting requirements. After the presentation, several community speakers asked why the county would single‑source work to the University of Memphis rather than contract minority‑led local organizations; speakers requested a procurement review. The committee moved the grant awards forward but the community requested the item be pulled for additional discussion at the full commission (the chair promised to place the item on Monday’s agenda for further public comment).
