By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS – It's a 15-year marriage that's still going strong and a union that produced the Van Buren-Cass District Health Department.
The two counties "lived together" a while to make sure their relationship would last, joked Administrator Jeffery L. Elliott Thursday as he visited the Board of Commissioners to recount some accomplishments.
A few witnesses of the vows from the Cass side of the aisle remain on the scene: County Administrator Terry Proctor, Chairman Robert Wagel, R-Wayne Township, and Commissioners Johnie Rodebush, D-Howard Township, and Carl Higley, R-Edwardsburg.
"Exactly 10 years ago today we decided to sign the contract to form the District Health Department," Elliott said. "At that point in time 15 years ago, we had a budget right around $2.5 million. Today we're at $4.9 million. In 1990, we were appropriated on behalf of Cass County $189,000. Today, in 2006, you're appropriating $189,000. There has been no increase in the 15 years we've lived together and been married to solve public health issues in the two communities together."
Not only was a new facility built at 201 M-62 North in Cassopolis, but it was undertaken through a foundation at no cost to taxpayers.
"We paid that building off in 6 1/2 years," Elliott said. "The county owns that building today. We've moved from one small storefront in Dowagiac to the new facility by the library. Additionally, we are involved in the new Medical Arts Facility with the City of Dowagiac and Borgess Hospital. We hope to have that 20,000-square-foot facility ready by April 1. It's going to house Borgess specialty care and physicians. We hope it will attract new specialty care to the area. The upstairs will house the public health department," including a dental clinic enlarged from two to five operatories and one hygienist area."
"The reason we've got more grants," commented Rodebush, "is because Jeff is not shy about talking to state and national leaders to get more money, and I appreciate that."
"In all my years of being around county government," commented Higley, "this is the only department I've ever heard of that has never changed its budget as we went along. The credit all goes to Jeff and his employees. You have our thanks for doing a great job."
Commissioner David Taylor said, "
"One thing we're trying to do with our new facility in Dowagiac," Elliott said, "is we've created a community center there. We're going to have an activity room. Right now we know of three programs we're going to be offering in conjunction with the medical community. One is an obesity program. Two, a diabetes program. Last, but not least, a nutrition program. We're not into providing direct care for anybody in the community. We do address access to care. If they don't, we arrange that."
Elliott said local appropriations statewide average 17 percent. "Ours is running 13 percent," he said. "We're attracting state and federal dollars back to the local community rather than going to the local commissions and asking for more dollars.
County appropriations generally fall into one of three categories – environmental health, including food service sanitation, sewage and groundwater; vulnerable populations, including reproductive health, crippled children and maternal and child health programs; and chronic and communicable disease, including dentistry and immunizations.
The health department receives 11/17this of the counties' share of cigarette taxes, which it spends on crippled children and dental care.
Commissioner Gordon Bickel, R-Porter Township, inquired about the health department's role in cleanup of methamphetamine houses.
"Both counties have meth task forces," said Elliott, who works out of Hartford. "Kalamazoo County has decided to incorporate a clean-up program. I'm strongly opposed to that at this point in time because there is federal grant money available to do cleanup without putting a burden on local taxpayers and/or law enforcement and public health. I know it's a public health concern. There are standards that industrial hygienists have prepared for us to provide assistance in cleanup, but the legal issues are so overwhelming that I wouldn't suggest to the public health board to put in our environmental health code the process for cleanup."
Elliott said he has apprised state legislators that Michigan "needs to provide some money for cleanup. At the present time they provide no money for cleanup, and it's very, very expensive when you hire an industrial hygienist to do that. No statewide standards for cleanup of this hazardous waste have been established. There are some recommendations. I can direct and help the process, but the health department does not have the manpower and/or necessary equipment to do cleanup. There are a couple of companies out there that we use."
Elliott expressed another concern that responsibility for cleanups falls on landlords, who may own multiple dwellings and live somewhere else.
"They may not know what's going on in that facility. And how do we know they're cleaning it up in the right manner? Two, can we get ahold of them in an expedient manner? When you look at these labs, the first thing I am concerned about is the children's living conditions. I want them out of there, so we work with Protective Services and law enforcement."
Also, Elliott continued, "We have state and county parks in these two counties, and folks have moved from producing this material in their homes to their vehicles out in the game reserve. We're finding this substance in leased vans. Who do we send it back to for cleanup? Is Ford or General Motors going to clean up this meth lab in the back of a van? There are a lot of questions" remaining to be answered.