Health Board repeals CAFO ordinance

At the April 19 Nodaway County Health Center Board meeting, the Missouri Supreme Court opinion issued March 21 on the appeal from the circuit court of Cole County concerning county and health board concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) ordinances was discussed.

In respect of the Missouri Supreme Court ruling, the board voted to dissolve the Nodaway County CAFO Ordinance 03152006-02. It passed. The original ordinance was passed in March and amended in August 2006.

Administrator Tom Patterson will check with health center lawyer to see if public meetings are needed to dissolve the ordinance. He doesn’t think public meetings will be needed.

Normally, different plans and companies are discussed in the summer. The health center has a Blue Cross Insurance plan which has been grandfathered in. If the health center chooses another plan, it will be unable to go back to the current one.

The employees are happy with the current plan. Out of five employees, four participate. Only one employee is needed to carry the insurance. Employees pay $50 each month for their insurance with the health center picking up the rest. The employee picks up all of their family’s insurance. The board will revisit the topic at the October meeting.

Patterson will pursue bids for a van for the health center. He estimates two to three months to accomplish this.

At the May meeting, the board will discuss transferring money from the health center’s checking to the money market savings account.

Mike Rosenbohm was sworn in as board trustee. The board officers are President Marlin Kinman, Vice President Debra Hull, Secretary Charlotte Knorr and Treasurer Bridget Kenny. Election costs for the April 4 election were $15,591.15.

Patterson gave the board members additional information on the Nodaway County Health Center income. There are three sources, tax revenue, state and federal public health contracts and services. The tax levy is set each August the county disperses monthly. The health contracts are invoiced and reimbursed monthly or quarterly. Services are primarily immunizations, charged to insurance or private pay.

In March, there were 66 COVID cases, two influenza B cases and 13 untyped influenza cases,

The health center donated five cots to the DARE auction. It also facilitated assistance to Andrew County Health Department with WIC staff shortage.