WC CWF Health District Board Minutes - 03/25/2022 WICHITA FALLS-WICHITA COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH BOARD MINUTES
Pc°u+i March 25, 2022
Wichita Falls-Wichita County Public Health District
1700 Third Street - Parker Conference Room
* Wichita Falls, Texas
Public Health
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT:
Keith Williamson, M.D., Chair Physician - City Appointment
Tanya Egloff, D.D.S. Dentist—County Appointment
Melissa Plowman Restaurant Association - City Appointment
Jered Harlan, D.V.M. Veterinarian — City Appointment
BOARD MEMBERS EXCUSED ABSENCE:
Lauren Jansen, Ph.D., R.N., Vice-Chair Registered Nurse—City Appointment
Paris Ward, M.A., B.S., Secretary Citizen At-Large - City Appointment
David Carlston, Ph.D. Citizen At-Large - County Appointment
OTHERS PRESENT:
Lou Kreidler, R.N., B.S.N. Director of Health
Amy K. Fagan, M.P.A. Assistant Director of Health
Michael Smith Council Liaison
Woodrow W. Gossom, Jr. County Judge
I. CALL TO ORDER
Keith Williamson, Chair called the meeting to order at 12 01 pm after a quorum of members attained.
II. MEMBER RE-APPOINTMENT
Lou Kreidler, Director of Health, Staff Liaison conducted the re-appointment of Tanya Egloff, County appointed
Practicing Dentist.
III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES AND ABSENCES
Keith Williamson called for the review and approval of the January 14, 2022 minutes. Tanya Egloff introduced a
motion to approve the minutes as presented and Melissa Plowman seconded the motion. The motion passed
unanimously.
Excused absence noted for Paris Ward, Lauren Jansen and David Carlston.
IV. COVID-19 UPDATE
Amy Fagan introduced Paige Hollingsworth as a force behind the COVID numbers to present the latest totals as
of today: 33, 982 cases, 33,385 recoveries, 584 deaths, this week 13 active cases with 9 home and 4 hospitalized,
1 death.
Judge Gossom asked if there are other contributors in people with longer durations of recovery.
Amy Fagan replied over time recovery times changed, started at 14 days to 10 days now 5 days, people still with
symptoms are not indicated as recoveries there is a follow-up process for that. It has been interesting to read
the literature as time changes with each different variant, also unusual who gets sick for the long duration, it is
not always the expected over 70 or prime of life, people in their 20s cannot entirely clear symptoms. There is
evidence of brain fog associated with Delta, heart, and brain issues based on each variant.
Paige Hollingsworth said the Health District now tracks up to date fully Vaccinated Breakthrough (VBT) cases for
the weeks of 2/26/22 to 3/18/22 had 46 total cases and 6 deaths. VBT cases identified as the following variants
to the present are Alpha from 4/18/21, Delta from 5/8/21, and Omicron from 12/18/21. Presentation of a
Hospitalization graph from the beginning of COVID shows the variants and surges but now on a steady decline
this week and last week remain constant at 4.
Lou Kreidler stated it is the same 4 that have been in the hospital it is not different people coming in and out.
Amy Fagan said in the framework of confirmed cases in Texas what was seen locally is what was seen in the
State of Texas, it happened fast and declined fast. Overtime the new sub-linage of Omicron expectations are to
take on more of the culprit but not concerned at this time since the Work Health Organization has not said anything
specific to the linage. Denmark saw a drastic increase in the BA.2 variant and released mitigation measures at
that time but not seen anything have not seen here with the first variant Omicron the B.1.1.529. Pfizer and
Moderna seek approval for the fourth dose for specific populations and been known to help people should there
be another surge or variant. Hispanic and Black populations are the focus again being the most under vaccinated
and compared to the population density in the community. Texas numbers appeared up last week, which was
confusing because it declined locally the CDC moved to a risk model with 9 cases locally was ranked a medium
risk it does not coincide. The CDC statistics have been a little different the entire time but have trusted the local
data to post and provide information.The posting of numbers on the website have gone from daily to weekly and
moved the every Friday social to every other Friday, will continue to be transparent with numbers and provide
engagement. The Workforce grant COVID money funds sixteen staff, the six health educators/case investigators
will train in Health Preventions, Diabetes Prevention and Education, Chronic Disease Health Managements, to
offer the public classes being relevant to COVID since those with chronic medical conditions or less healthy had
been the sickest or died.
V. ANIMAL ORDINANCE UPDATE
Lou Kreidler stated at the last Board meeting a unanimous vote was made to move the Animal Ordinance
changes on to Council unfortunately it did not happen due to miscommunication with the Legal Department.
Evidently, the entire ordinance had not gone to Legal for review only one part, most of the Legal changes are
grammar, punctuation, and some areas with potential to change the intent of what the ordinance says.A meeting
was set with Legal and Animal Control yesterday but with an individual out was unable to attain an answer for
today. She will send an email if there are no changes to the ordinance as previous reviewed and voted by the
Board to precede to Council or if changes the ordinance will be on the agenda of the next meeting to review and
vote again.
VI. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OVERVIEW
Samantha Blair Environmental Health Administrator explained, "What is Environmental Health" primarily. the
inspectors doing inspections in Wichita County with the majority being Retail Food establishments, generally
issue about 1,000 permits per year and the Food Ordinance regulates all of Wichita County.Also, regulate hotels,
motels, tattoo parlors within Wichita Falls city limits, public and semi-public aquatic facilities, not concerned with
the backyard pools concerned with apartment complexes, spas, campgrounds, the public places, and grease
traps. The on-site sewage facilities (OSSF) program lately has busted at the seams and home sells bloomed not
sure of the reason but environmental has been overwhelmed with the amount of existing inspections and new
construction for OSSF (septic tanks and aerobic treatment systems). Annual school and private school safety
item inspections and provide that information to the Administrators. Annual daycare facility inspections as
requested by the State for daycares that care for 12 or more children in Wichita County. Foster home inspections
as a local Health District when someone becomes a new foster home provider an inspection is done as well as
a State inspection, no decisions are made only review for safety hazards and pass information to the decision
makers.
Another part is complaint investigation; Environmental takes calls from citizens with a complaint against a facility
and investigates. In addition do enforcements a part of doing inspections can find violations, while the primary
goal is to educate sometimes enforcement action are taken using citations for corrections to be made. Education
is the focus with the end goal to protect public health and safety, the best cooperation found is whenever the
inspectors are engaging with the establishments teaching, trouble shoot on how to correct and move forward.
Often it is combating normal human behavior and habits, it is about how to build better habits to make the
employees aware and make that brain connection another reason education is important. Hand washing is the
number one violation seen a minor re-contamination. Plan review is when a new establishment is opening an
inspection is done then a plan review done working close with other City departments.
During the summer, the mosquito control program does both passive and active mosquito surveillance. The
passive mosquito control is set with a hot line people can call to report mosquitoes in their area and request to
spray the area, for Wichita Falls then Wichita County but not in the incorporated areas of Burkburnett, Iowa Park,
and Electra. Active surveillance starts when the State opens their Lab up for testing generally the end of April
early May. The State allows the program to send live mosquitoes collected to Austin for identification and test for
the presence of diseases. The last few years the Labs only test for West Nile virus due to their focus on COVID
but hope at one point in time will test again for all other mosquito borne illnesses.
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Environmental Health is a team of 10 full time employees; Division Health, Senior Administrative Clerk, two Public
Health Officers, six Sanitarians or Sanitarians-In-Training, and part time seasonal Vector Control workers.
Mosquito control in the summer generally consists of 2-4 night sprayers to go around in the mosquito trucks at
night to spray. The goal is to hire 4-6 daytime workers those that do the nitty gritty to go out find water sources
where mosquitoes are breeding, check for the presence of mosquito larvae and treat those water sites.
Susan Morris the Division Head retired and Samantha Blair took over in February 2020 then COVID happened,
as Division Head the entire year was COVID.The Health Department had to make changes did a lot of scrambling
and came together as a team to assure information got out to the citizens in a timely matter.
Done a whole lot of inter-departmental cooperation shortly after taking over as Division Head then shortly after
July 2020 got a new Wichita County Fire Marshall then 6 months later a new Building Official. The three together
have worked hard to eliminate some of the back in forth that was seen with business owners trying to open
businesses in Wichita County. When opening a new establishment or going into a building not functional or
operational for a long time, now predevelopment meetings are held with the establishment and all City
departments that possibly might be involved. What it does and so beneficial is to eliminate what he said, what
she said, not have to call 19 different offices to try to get an answer, there is a face with the name and actually
engage with the people. Now business owners are more likely to call and ask questions, that piece is very
important to make allowance for people to do what they want in a safe manner.
There are two ordinances in the process of an update: Lodging Ordinance and Food Ordinance. The majority of
the Lodging Ordinance was written in 2006 with a minimal update in 2010 the world has changed, adjustments
are needed for the current market. Now with the home sharing, Airbnb, those sorts being residential homes, there
should be an assurance those are not collected under the Lodging Ordinance that is not the intent of the
ordinance, only for public hotels/motels. The Food Ordinance last update was in 2015 when the State changed
the Texas Food Establishment Rules (TFER). Last summer the State updated the TFER again, so the Food
Ordinance will need an update to align with the State. The amount of sales taken place electronically with food,
deliveries, third party deliveries, and ghost kitchens, all those have weird nuances that came about with COVID
that need addressed. Over the past few years there has been some confusion at what point is the restaurant no
longer responsible for the food if a third party delivery service is used.
Lou Kreidler said one thing Samantha did not mention is the on-site sewage facilities program monitors the lake
lots at Lake Kickapoo and Lake Arrowhead because those are local water sources that need to be secured so
on-site sewage facilities around the Lakes do not send sewage directly into the Lake.
Melissa Plowman had a question about the Food Ordinance, she knew the State has talked about the Managers
Certification being full time their establishment has been required for at least one manager not necessarily in the
building, will that be going into the ordinance.
Samantha Blair replied yes, the new TFER update did include a Certified Food Manager present at all times so
with that expectation would be the Shift Managers to have a Certificate as well.
Keith Williamson commented that it was a real good presentation and grateful Samantha had taken over with big
shoes to fill sure she was capable.
Lou Kreidler and Amy Fagan appreciate that because Samantha literally came on in February COVID started in
March she trained herself and done an amazing job.
Keith Williamson thinks there is a bright spot in the pandemic because many people stepped up and were able
to shine just because they had to.
VII. NEXT MEETING DATE
Friday, May 13, 2022
VIII. ADJOURN
Keith Williamson adjourned the meeting at 12:40 pm.
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Signature
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Print Name-Keith Williamson, MD, Chair, Lauren Jansen, PhD, RN, Vice-Chair, Pans Ward, MA, BS, Secretary
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