SALEM–The health board discussed a new budget justification for its workforce development grant in its meeting Wednesday.

Health Commissioner Kayla Crowl said department needed to submit a new justification including the $50,000 for its re-accreditation and continuing accreditation funding by the end of the month. Also, following accreditation and outreach funding and payroll for the department’s contracted positions there would still be $41,000 needed to be allocated. Mayor Cyndi Baronzzi Dickey asked Crowl what she felt could be done with that funding that would most benefit the department. Crowl suggested more money for the department’s employees, possibly through retention bonuses.

Dickey expressed concerns with issuing retention bonuses through the grant due to future expectations. She is uncertain if the department would be able to sustain that level of expense once the grant funds ran out even with the recent increase to the department’s fees.

“We’ve got to see what we’re going to make this year; this is going to be the make-or-break year,” said Dickey.

Dickey suggested that the department could instead purchase gift cards for its employees in keeping with the employee appreciation element of the grant, which would provide a similar one-time payment as a retention bonus without the same expectation of recurring annually.

The board ultimately voted unanimously to allocate the remaining balance to employee appreciation for now, to present each of the department’s current employees with a $700 gift card, and to re-evaluate the status of the department’s retention bonuses in six months.

Other business included a second reading of the proposed 2025 food service, tattoo and piercing, and public swimming pool safety fees, which were amended from the rates presented in the board’s previous meeting in accordance with feedback from the state. The meeting was preceded by the required public hearing for the proposed fees, which saw nobody in attendance. The fees will still require one more reading for passage in the board’s next meeting.

The proposed fees are (with last year’s fees in parentheses): risk classification less than 25,000 square feet, level one $116.87 ($107.69), level two $129.63 ($121.44), level three $233.26 ($233.11); and level four $291.46($295.82); more than 25,000 square feet, level one $161.79 ($156.10), level two $169.45 ($164.35), level three $559.98 ($585.18), and level four $592.66 ($620.38); vending operation, $14.66 ($14.18); mobile facility, $103.40 ($0) and temporary facility (per event), $0 ($0).

The fees do not include required state fees, which must be added in. The cost for plan reviews for both new establishments and remodels remains at $275 each.

Fees for public swimming pools will remain at $205 for the first pool or spa at any given location and $100 for each beyond the first, and tattoo and piercing establishment fees will remain $150 for either a tattoo or piercing establishment, or $300 for a combined tattoo and piercing establishment with a $40 registration fee for each artist and apprentice.

During her report, Director of Nursing Chelsea Clark said the city had seen a decrease in communicable diseases in November compared to last year. Twelve were reported last month compared to 69 last November. Clark attributed it to a decline in the number of reported cases of Covid-19 with 10 this November and 64 last year. Clark said that there had also been a decrease in the number of sexually-transmitted diseases in November compared to last year which she attributed to the department’s expanded prophylactic offerings.

Dickey asked if the department had hired a new public health nurse yet. According to Crowl, the department had but the person was a no-show. She said that the department had interviewed a new candidate on Tuesday, and had another interview scheduled Friday and was hopeful the position would be filled by the end of the week.

During her report, Accreditation Co-Ordinator Brooke Crockett said the department had implemented the Clear Impact performance management tracking software, and Clockify time tracking software to improve the department’s data tracking for it continuing quality improvement reports. Crockett also said that the department had implemented its new shared document server which will allow all department personnel to access necessary files across multiple desktops and will have a dedicated history folder to maintain archival copies of any department documents or policies for future reference.

During her report Crowl told commissioners she had purchased a pair of exterior ear headphones with automatically translate language back-and-forth between speakers to improve communication with non-English speaking residents. Crowl said they cost about $11 and significantly improved department staff’s ability communicate without an interpreter.

“We aren’t restricted just to what we memorized, we can actually have a conversation with them,” she saidl.

Both Dickey and Board President Pro Tempore Judy Sicilia both praised the idea, with Sicilia noting that by reducing the need for an exterior interpreter it could help to improve HIIPA compliance. Dickey saidit would be good for people with a sensitive or embarrassing issue they may not feel comfortable disclosing in the presence of an interpreter. Dickey and Sicilia both suggested that at such a low price point the department should purchase a set for each employee.

The health department will be following city hall’s lead and closing at noon on Christmas Eve, and the health board will meet next 2 p.m. Jan. 15.