The April 3rd City Council Meeting recognized public health week with a proclamation that encouraged citizens to help leaders better understand the value of public health. It missed a possible whereas embedded in City Council's background packet.
Whereas:
City staff cited an over $560,000 gain from federal public health grant funding. Surely City Council entertained this surplus in its recent Strategic Planning meeting and had this item for full presentation on April 3rd. Nope. Local public health leadership and city management did neither.
Excess federal grant funds received zero mention in the March 29th strategic planning event. For April 3rd staff had the issue in the consent section, meaning no presentation. Once the meeting started City Council went one further and dropped the item from its agenda.
City Council did keep the health department price increase where the city charges its full costs for lab testing services to patients. In its original case to raise fees staff omitted the Health Department is/has been the recipient of state and federal grant funds intended to help members of the public get access to affordable healthcare services.
After endorsing the importance of public health City Council voted to approve the consent agenda, which included health department fee increases for at risk citizens needing access to healthcare. Council did so knowing the City intends to go for another round of 1115 Waiver funding, even as it holds 57% of the federal money received. In the past Health Director Sandra Villareal advised city leaders that 1115 Waiver funds must "be used for the intent of the program." That's much narrower than the "city's budget".
The City's significant public health surplus, courtesy of state/federal grant funding, deserves illumination so the public and local leaders can work together to fulfill the program's original aim, public health expansion.
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