Everyone, I'd like to call this meeting of the public Cook County Public Health and Human Services Board to order at 8:30 a.m. on July 21st, 2026. [snorts] Uh, first item is called order to that. Second item, approval of the consent
agenda, and that includes our meeting agenda as well as the minutes, financial reports, abstracts, and bills. Are there any changes to the agenda or any items the commissioner would like to pull from the consent agenda? Frank? >> Yes. Thank you. So, I have I have a request. Unfortunately, I have a 9:30
doctor's appointment that I must make. >> Okay. >> Um, and I do have something for the consent of the order. >> So, if we can I have some I have something to talk about for the consent of the order. >> For the uh for the whatever for the >> good of the order.
>> For the good of the order. >> Oh. Oh, sure. >> So, if we can move that part of the agenda, at least for me. >> Sure. >> Up sooner. Absolutely. Appreciate that. >> Thank you. as far as I'm concerned. Uh, any other changes to the agenda? >> Commissioner, >> Mr. Chair, I'd make a motion to approve
the agenda as amended by Frank. >> Thank you, Commissioner Svin. We have a motion as our support. >> Support that. >> Commissioner Gamble. Thank you. I have a motion in support. Any further discussion? Hearing or seeing none. All those in favor? >> I >> I opposed. Motion passes unanimously.
Thank you. Um 9:30. Okay. Well, let's go on to our director's report, Grace, if you may. >> All right. Good morning, everyone. Can everyone hear me? Okay. I'm always a little unsure with the microphone. >> That's fine. Okay. Great. Um I will
start with our staff report and our org chart. So, we continue to have one vacancy that's posted and we do have candidates that are working through the interview process for that position at this moment and that's our adult mental
health case manager role. Um, so that is the the big staff update at this point. Um, I also just want to give a big thank you to the staff that we have covering the adult mental health case management
case load right now. all of our social services staff in adult services and behavioral health have really been stepping up to carry that case load as we hire for that vacancy. So, a huge thank you to all of them. Um, we also
have staff because it is summer out on vacation. So, we have a lot of folks stepping in and helping. And I just want to thank our staff in PHS for helping out and pitching in and covering all of the needs that we have that need to be
covered as folks take vacation and are out for various reasons. So, thank you to all of the staff in our department. Uh we don't have a presentation from staff or community this month, but I do have a lengthy director's report. So,
I'll be talking more about the proposed reorganization that I introduced to you all last month. I'll be talking about merging our local mental health advisory council and our PHS advisory council as we have made some progress in that area
over the past month. Uh emergency preparedness updates um and other updates from the public health team, mobile crisis updates and the public health fund updates. So, it's a lengthy director's report. I just wanted to give you a preview of what's to come and then
I'm going to get into the reorganization discussion first and Erica is going to be putting up on the screen which should show on your screens as well a visual of what the proposed reorganization for the department will look like. I'm hoping
that it's large enough for folks to see. Yeah, we'll also include it with the um minutes of the meeting. So if folks want to look at it that way, it'll be available and can be made um larger as well. >> When we when we do that, can we put
draft on there? >> There, you know, there was a there was a watermark that said draft, but I did switch it to PowerPoint in an effort to make it a little bit larger and it seems like the watermark has disappeared. So I'll make sure that the version that goes out with the minutes does include
that watermark because this is indeed a a draft at this point. So, as I said in our last meeting, the goals of reorganizing PHS are to first and foremost support a positive work environment within the department while
continuing to meet our obligations to the state and the community. We're doing this by creating a structure that ensures oversight and accountability within our department, but that also supports our staff,
encourages leadership development, and aids with retention. And while doing this, I do want to note that I have kept fiscal responsibility in mind as I know coming into budgeting season um that is a a key consideration for the board to
as they're making decisions. The process um has been ongoing. So this isn't something that I just kind of came up with overnight. It's involved really studying the recommendations in the report from Megan Mo um and her
Birchbark consulting firm and that includes ongoing discussion with her as this model has been under development discussions within our supervisor team and the other team meetings within our department. It's also been brought up at our all staff meeting for the last two
months and I've provided opportunities and continue to provide opportunities to discuss this draft with individual staff who may have questions, concerns or suggestions for improvement. I've also been meeting with administrator Treble
Treble Halverma and HR director Plameumber as well as with our HR consultants DDA. So, this really has been a process that's included input from a variety of people and entities in an effort to try to create something
that's going to work and be sustainable over the long term. I'm going to go into a few highlights here and I'm going to stop after I talk and not just go through the whole director report, but as I get through the reorganization
um draft, give time for questions from our board as well. So, some of the highlights, this proposed reorganization does not add positions to the department. Um, oops,
my computer is going a little funny. Let's see. It um it it removes two vacancies from the org chart in social services. These are positions that have been vacant for quite some time and our current case
loads support this approach. It also holds a third position as vacant in the 2027 budget. In other words, not budgeted. This position that would be held vacant would be within the children family services team. And this is due to
the potential for an increased workload due to the Minnesota African-American Family Preservation Child Welfare Disproportionality Act. So, this is uh sometimes it's called the act because it's kind of a mouthful, but it's uh new
state level legislation that changes the way that we do child protection work across the state to involve what's called active efforts in an increased number of cases. Um and so this in other counties is in [clears throat] resulting
in increased staffing. based on our population, I am not sure what the workload increase is going to look like for our team. So, I would like to hold that position as available for the future as we assess what the workload
changes will be in response to that legislation. Um, this moves the total number of positions in the org chart from 35 to 33. Another key change is that it moves from us having six supervisors to two
supervisors and two managers. So there's a manager position over social services. There's also a manager position over uh that I've titled the fiscal and administrative manager. And the reason for this is that it really recognizes
that these two positions work quite a bit with developing internal policies, procedures, support with budget development. It also formalizes a backup for the director position in the um event that I might be out. It provides a
second in command that would be able to assume some of the duties that I typically assume is in the director role just to have a clear um and well delineated kind of plan for who would be second and third in command if there
were to be an absence in the department. Um it also recognizes the leadership role that these positions play in representing our agency to external entities. The model also integrates lead workers
across the agency. So a lead worker is not a supervisor but it is a position that assumes some leadership duties within the team. It provide that position would provide work direction, training, leadership but not formally
supervise individuals within a team. Um there's a potential for that lead worker role to be rolled into case aids as well. That's something that's still under discussion. Um, and another recommendation that we're taking into consideration is
that's not represented in this image, but is under discussion is integrating levels one and two to jobs for which there are multiple positions such as case managers, eligibility specialists and health educators. Um and that is a
way to recognize candidates skills experience and as people gain skills experience also um provide an increase in their expectations and workload. So we'd be able to for example hire someone into a
role at a level one or a level two depending on where they're at in their professional journey and then kind of recognize them as they grow into positions within our agency. One other two other pieces to note. The executive administrative assistant role
would shift into a systems administrator role. That role would assist with information management and support for staff in accessing and learning the multiple software systems required in human services. Um, finally, the intake function for
social services would become centralized in two positions that would spend time engaging in social service case aid work when they're not actively engaged in taking an intake. That would be a walk-in, a phone call, an email,
somebody's kind of first point of contact with our agency. So um that would right now intake is a shared function across case managers in social services under this model it would shift and be more centralized. There would
still be backup for that function within the department u and it would also allow us to provide more um paraprofessional support to our case management staff. So there's a lot that's gone into this. Um, I do want to let you know that I was
hoping to have um job descriptions for vote for the social service lead workers and our social service manager. I'm still working on those with our HR director and our HR consultants, but um I am hoping to bring those to you for vote at the general board meeting next
Tuesday. Um, and I want to just let you know that with these changes for the next several months, um, there will be job descriptions coming to you for review and for vote. Uh, it's not something that's going to go on forever,
but it will be over the course of, I would guess, the next 6 to9 months that these job descriptions are being updated, graded, and brought to you for consideration and vote. I wanted to give you this this image and I'll certainly provide updates as our thinking evolves.
Um, but the idea is to kind of roll these changes into this overall vision and give you updates along the way if this vision changes and this draft changes. I'll also note in the image itself, you'll notice that there are a few different colors. The dark blue
represents positions that are like that that are either already filled um or are new positions that are likely to be filled by current staff. Um the light blue positions are positions that we will likely be hiring externally.
They're positions that are currently vacant in the org chart. Um and then that light green position is the position within children family services that we are I'm proposing to hold for 2027 in the in in the case that we need additional capacity in our children
family services team in response to the recent state legislation that changes child protection work. So a lot there. I want to stop um let it sink in for a moment. Also give you all the opportunity to ask questions. Um before
I continue on with the director's report, >> administrator Treble. >> Thank you. I would just like to add that I fully support these changes in this organizational structure. Grace has spent a lot of time and attention working with um our our consultant Megan
Mo as well as staff really listening to them and ensuring that this model meets uh the needs of the team and also meets most importantly meets our community needs. Um, so I just wanted to mention that I've worked very closely with Grace on this and I fully support this.
>> Thank you. Um, one one thing I noticed uh and maybe it's just a silly detail but just want to bring it up to be >> clear is just um uh so the lead is not a supervisory role. >> Correct.
>> Though on the tree it is imaged that way. Um, that is something that I struggled to change with the program that I use to visualize this. I I did hear that feedback. I just don't know how to make it look different. So, it
does look as though >> it could be a supervisory role in the work chart, but it is not. >> Gotcha. Just wanted to point that out. >> Thank you, Commissioner Gamble. >> Thank [clears throat] you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Grace. Um
you touched on it um a bit, but when you look at the organizational opera operation side of things and how it seems to make sense, how that translates through the lens of the job reclassification.
And so we could just from our understanding of classification, if you're going from six supervisors to three or whatever that number is, you would think that you're reducing and u those job description
responsibilities. So uh you mentioned it as we go through this regrading that we will be aware of that but but I think as you go through the process of reorganization you can look at the
operational side how it seems to make sense but understanding the financial side as to how that will translate is is an important element of this. You can conclude that based upon the process we've gone through with the
consultant and the discussion with staff that the priority is getting the operational side as smooth as pro possible um based upon the input and what we know. But the financial side is
a side that obviously we need to be mindful of as as we move into this. So uh a scenario where you say that the grading was based upon a supervisory role. If we reduce the number of
supervisors, will that mean that the grading reduces that pay grade for those that are no longer supervisors? And our policy would define whether or not somebody that has achieved a certain level would actually reduce that or not.
That's just >> I would um so the grading process is through the HR consulting firm DDA with this model. Um I don't the the folks that are either listed as supervisors or
managers. I would assume that the managers positions will likely be graded higher than a supervisor position. I'm not sure what that will be final in its final form. I would also assume that someone assuming a lead worker role
would be graded higher than the positions that are within that family. Um I think when Plowman presents on our proposed 2027 budget, we can get an idea of how the overall finances of this will
will look for 2027. Um, but at this point, because we're still going through the process of creating the job descriptions and going through and having DDA go through the grading of specific positions, I don't have additional detail as to how these positions will be graded inside of the
the proposed reorg. >> Well, before Yeah, I just wanted to also add there are two vacant supervisor positions and so we're removing those ones according to this or chart. Mhm. >> So, it's it's an elimination >> which we've seen when we've discussed,
you know, in in in other departments where we're reorganizing and because we're not going to necessarily move forward, you know, with filling positions that we've had that that that is something that you can correctly assume that there will be a compensation, you know, adjustment based
upon the fact that we're not filling some other positions. But still looking at this uh long term and I would say if I were pluming I would have a challenging time trying to project what it's going to be without knowing
>> you know where we're at on it on on the grade and it it's just saying obviously the operational side is an important thing and we've we've learned on this journey the importance of trying to reorganize and we have that opportunity to do that which is excellent but the
component on the you know financial side is is something that we have to be informed on. So minister trouble >> the other piece that I think is important to mention is that this plan um does not mean that any positions would be demoted. So like Commissioner
Mills shared, we'd be leveraging vacancies for different positions, but we're not there aren't any current supervisors that then would shift to a lead position or um otherwise within the chart. We're we're leveraging those vacancies.
>> Well, and le leveraging the vacancies can be a matter of of uh the dollars and where they're applied. And if we don't expend dollars over here, we can apply them here. But still, the grading system
is a discipline based upon an evaluation of the responsibilities and roles of the position. which means that and it's how how it's looked in the grading to say that if you're going from a supervisor position to a manager position, you would assume there's going to be an
increase in the grading. If you if you have a supervisor, if we have six supervisors and only three managers, if I've got those numbers right, that means that there's three that are no longer going to be in a supervisory role. If I'm understanding >> two managers, two supervisors,
>> right? So there's no the there's no supervisor that will change their title to be there there's two positions that would go from supervisor to manager and there's two supervisor positions that would stay as supervisors. >> Okay.
>> The additional supervisor positions that were within social services will shift and instead there will be lead worker roles under the manager. >> Okay, that helps. >> Yeah, that understand Frank. >> Yeah. Uh uh Grace, if the um if the lead
positions don't have any supervisory responsibilities, you might consider instead of having um case manager one, case manager two, have a case manager one, two, and three, and just call the what what you're calling the lead. It's fine, but just a matter
of nomenclature. That would be your case manager three or your public health person three rather than calling them a lead but they don't have any supervisory position authority. No just >> noted. Yeah. >> Noted as well.
>> My other question from for my edification what is the difference between a supervisor and a manager other than the pay? I think it it is reflected in the development of policies, procedures,
budgets and also leadership with external organizations. Um >> so that would be the manager has those responsibilities. A supervisor does not. >> The supervisors are primary role is supervising the staff within their teams.
>> Okay. Thank you. And great job, by the way, putting all this together while managing everything else going on. It's kind of like overhauling your car engine when you're driving down the interstate. [laughter] >> I I'm looking at this as long term, but
I I don't want anyone to feel surprised. So, I think this is probably the first time, but not the last time that you'll see this image and hear me talk about this. I mean, I did talk about it at the last board meeting, but the image wasn't accompanying it. and we aren't we weren't as close as we are today to
bringing um a few of these position descriptions for vote. So, yeah. All right. Um I'm going to move forward in the director's report unless there are any additional questions. >> Okay.
Okay. So, merging our advisory councils. So, right now we have a local mental health advisory council and a general public health and human services advisory council. Um, we've been meeting together as one council for the past few
months um and been discussing what it would look like to merge these two councils. Part of this is because um I think it would be more efficient operationally to have one group that meets regularly to provide
recommendations to our department and to you all on the board. Um it also allows for both groups to hear what the other group is is doing and and hearing about. Um and it and so part of the conversation has been how can we do this
without losing the focus on mental health that was the the impetus for creating the local mental health advisory council several years back. So this last meeting happened on Tuesday the 14th and we really dove into the
state statutes that guide both advisory councils. There are statutes to guide local mental health advisory councils. there are statutes to guide health and human services advisory councils. And so we started there by seeing what is it
that is required of both of these groups and is there a way to combine both into one and there is. I think we just have to be very intentional about how to do it. So we looked at statute, we discussed uh second draft version of
mission and vision statements and as well as a draft of bylaws for the merged council. We also talked about a template um kind of a draft template agenda that could guide our meetings and then kind of an annual calendar of different topics because there are different
topics that need to be touched upon annually for each group. So we came up with uh a good draft but we didn't have um all of our members present. So what we decided to do at the end of the
meeting was to circulate what we came up with for the mission vision bylaws among the membership um via email and to have an email vote and proceed with a simple majority of those responding by a set deadline. This has been somewhat delayed
because of the uh events over the last week with air quality and wildfire response, but it's my intent to have all of that out to the membership before Thursday of this week. um with the goal that after that vote uh assuming that
the vote is for a merge to um start really intentionally recruiting new members because we have members who've been part of the councils for a very long time and have been very dedicated. We have partner agencies who come on a regular basis as well. But I think we
would benefit from really um trying to bring new voices into those groups to provide a broader um range of perspective. So we'll be recruiting from the general public as well as from the
kind of more topic specific groups that the public health team facilitates. groups like the food access council, the prevention coalition, the active living group to see if there is interest in joining our advisory council. At our August meeting, we will be uh
hearing the PHS proposed budget from Plan Demitra, our fiscal supervisor. That is in statute that our advisory council annually hears the budget draft and provides uh feedback on that. Um, and so we'll be meeting again on August
11th for that. And then that PHS 2027 budget will also be the topic for the August PHS board meeting. So that's an update on that. Any questions on the the councils before I continue on? Okay.
Public health updates. So wildfire and air quality response. So the public health team has really been focused over the past week on responders responding to hazardous air quality and wild wildfire conditions across the county. So staff have been working with emergency management, the sheriff's
office, the Minnesota Department of Health, and community agencies, most notably the YMCA. So, the YMCA uh serves as a shelter site for Cook County and we used it for an air quality relief
shelter starting Tuesday evening through Sunday this past week. It also serves as an evacuation checkpoint. We did have um four families come through who had opted to evacuate early during the um set
portion of Ready, Set, Go up the Gumflint Trail. um the the air quality relief shelter. This is the first time we had opened something like this. Um it was the first time we'd had multiple days in a row of hazardous air quality. So, we had learned a lot. We had more than 40
community members come in looking for information or to just have a break from the air quality. We gave out over 300 masks to community members. We ran through our masks. We have more coming this afternoon, but we had a very
positive response to people um who wanted to take N95 KN95 masks. We also were able to order more child-siz masks. That's been a huge gap. Most of the masks that come through the state are adult-sized, but children are more um
susceptible to poor air quality. So, we do have more of those on order that should come today. We issued media releases t talking about the air quality shelter. We also um AI Sukwal, our public health supervisor, and myself were on WTIP last Wednesday talking
about air quality. Um we also put out social media posts um on how to follow air quality alerts, how to create uh a DIY air filter. Um, and I think we really we met yesterday to debrief the
the operation and talk more about long-term planning. Um, in the future, our plan is not to, you know, open and staff the clean air shelter ourselves. What we're looking at is creating more of a community model where we provide technical assistance to um
organizations, agencies around the county that might have the ability to serve as a clean air zone so that they know what that would entail. They have masks on hand. They have educational materials on hand. And then we we' be
able to reach more people and it would also ease the burden on staffing within our team. So, we learned a lot doing it for ourselves, staffing it ourselves the first time as to what kinds of questions people asked, what people were looking for, who used the space. Um, and we're
we're like I said, moving into a longer term planning phase, assuming that we will continue to have periods of hazardous air quality due to the wildfires throughout the rest of the fire season. Um, >> it sounds like an opportunity to for bars and restaurants.
>> Yeah, it could be. try to get people in safe space. >> Yeah, absolutely. Um >> boost the economy. >> Yeah, they need some help. So, you know, >> yeah, >> social interaction. >> Yeah. >> So, we are um this segus into some of
the grant applications with the public health team. So, we did apply for healthy ho housing grant. So, Healthy Homes is a grant we've had for two per two three-year periods in the past, and we applied for another three-year period. This is a three-year grant. It's
120,000 over the course of three years. A portion of this does go to offset staffing costs, and a portion of this also goes to mitigation work for households that have a housing assessment or a housing based health
assessment by one of our staff in public health. This program's been very successful in the past and I'm hopeful that um we're able to receive funding to continue this work into the future. There's uh two additional applications that are in progress. One is the Boreal
Waters grant. That's to augment our youth prevention work. Another is a rural climate partnership grant. And this grant in particular, we're looking at how this could help us with air quality work. um because within our
budget we typically have primarily staffing costs, but these special projects we don't have funding set aside for unless we're pursuing grant funds. So, um I'm hopeful that that type of grant could help us with things like
providing materials to potential clean air shelters across the county, for example, which is project funding that we wouldn't otherwise have. Um, we're also looking at a DHS grant to do risk reduction work. Um, but that is in the
assessment phase. So, the only one that's been completed since the last board meeting was the healthy homes grant. Um, community health initiatives. We have outreach efforts in multiple areas with public health. Andrea Orest
is gathering public feedback on the public health vending machine that board members will remember from last summer. We hit pause on the project and it is currently the machine is currently in storage, but you'll be seeing media
releases and articles coming out. We're trying to get community feedback on what a preferred location for the machine would be and what types of supplies would be helpful to include in the machine in the future. So, more to come on that, but we are in a community
engagement information gathering phase. There's also a number of events coming out that staff are going to be participating at to do outreach and education. That's Fisherman's Picnic, Grand Portage Kids Day, and future farmers markets events where we'll be
providing information on um public health and human services topics. So, lots of events coming up. Finally, I want to um recognize Andrea Or who received a full scholarship from the Local Public Health Association of Minnesota to attend the National
Association of City and County Health Officials annual conference in Louisville, Kentucky last week. The conference is the largest convening of public health professionals in the nation. Um, and Andrea and a handful of regional public health colleagues
presented uh on the speaking of cannabis communications campaign that was a regional effort here in the Arrowhead region. >> [clears throat] >> Uh, moving into mobile crisis updates. I've been working with the Arrowhead Behavioral Health Initiative and First
Call for Help to submit all the information that DHS needs for a contract amendment. A contract amendment is necessary for First Call for Help to be able to hire locally based mobile crisis response workers. Um, First Call
for Help, they were here in June, they came again in July. They're planning to be back in August. and as soon as they get the green light from DHS with this contract amendment, they'll be able to begin the hiring process. Our goal continues to be to have staff providing
inperson response in October. Um, and that is largely hinging on the date that the state processes our contract amendment. Finally, the public health fund. The public health fund is an annual grant making project um that runs through
public health and human services. We did open the request for proposal um period. Applications for 2027 funds are due by August 10th. At that point, the grant review team will begin to meet, review applications,
and bring recommendations to this board at some point this fall. Um, I'll also note that there is an information session for prospective applicants tomorrow. That's Wednesday, July 22nd at noon via Zoom and the recording will be
posted on our website afterwards. So, past grantees received the link. The date was also publicized in a media release. This session is open to the public. Um, and if folks are looking for more information or specifics on how to
join, they can email phscookmn.gov or reach out to the public health team at 218-387365. That's the end of my director's report. So, >> thank you. >> Wow. >> Thanks. >> Uh, any questions for Grace?
>> All right. Thank you, Grace. Um that moves us right on down to our committee reports. So >> how about Frank? >> Yeah. And uh and we're on a record um timeline here. So yeah, take it away, Frank. >> Okay. Thank you. Um yeah. Uh so I would
like to address the public health emergency, which has been the air quality. >> Fires is important, but public health, it's all about the air quality. uh living up at Gunslet Lake. Um my wife and I actually did evacuate to the city one night when the air was so bad that
uh it was it was hazardous. So we um the rains have been great. They haven't stopped the fires and they won't stop the fires. Um but they have done a bit to clean up the air. However, it's coming back. We don't know when. We don't know how long, but it's going to come back.
There's been a lot of talking about the air filters and thank you Grace for taking your your proactive stance [clears throat] with the uh cooling and clean air facility at the Y. That was great. Um my own
my own thought is that this is a teachable moment as we call it for air quality and what we can do about it. There's been a lot of discussion as you say, as Commissioner Sullivan pointed out, post office is full of air filters and fans.
One thing that's been very clear is that there are not and there will not be immediately available air filters and fans locally. The home center even told me that they don't carry more than a MV level eight, which is kind of medium uh
air filter. Uh so as a result people including me um went online and ordered online and that's great but it doesn't show up for another week and meanwhile you're breathing air. Okay, putting all this together and putting this together with the uh cooling and clean air
center, clean air facility. Um, I had mentioned to Grace and I believe she supports it. Um, putting together a workshop in that area where people can build their own very simple low tech air filters.
Reminds me of Apollo 13. Do you remember when they they they had that oxygen problem and they put together some stuff with duct tape and air filters and very low tech, but it works. So, I done the same thing. This is actually and this is not going to cool a house but it will
give a fresh air for a person. This is just a little desktop with some chopped up K9 KN95 mass on the back and it works. It reduces the air flow a lot. You're not going to get the air flow that you usually get because you got all
this in the back, but it does work and it's possible. very what has been very um in the news has been the Corley Robinson Corsy Rosenthal air filters which is basically you take four air
filters you make a little square box you put a fan on top and you have yourself a perfectly usable perfectly efficient air filter I to I went one step further and I said well that's true but even that simple as
it is with just duct tape and four filters and a fan. You can do the same thing with one air filter and a fan. Okay. Uh this is a MV 13 which is the highest level filter available and would
do a perfectly adequate job on your uh on smoke. Okay. >> Excuse me. Frank, could you get that so that what you're showing is more on camera or >> Oh, it is. >> It is. You can see. >> Okay. >> It's hanging on the edge. And and again
this angle >> gaffer's tape kind of like tape gaffer's tape and >> nothing very low tech but very usable. >> The problem is in public health you never want to give someone advice that they can't follow.
If you can't buy the fan and you can't buy the filters telling them to make one of these is counterproductive because now they can't do anything about it and you lose credibility yourself. So my proposal is and I don't know exactly what the mechanism is. I would suggest
that the board authorize or order or whatever purchase of as a pilot 100 air filters and that will cost about uh $1,600
less than that actually. 25 fans at a cost of [clears throat] about $650 and a couple of rolls of tape and have them available so that the next teachable moment that comes up, the next time people are coming into the Y, we
can have actually whether it's a staff member or a volunteer and I'll get to that in a minute because I I know of a lot of people who would like to volunteer and help um for your staffing um have a workshop available to show people and just it's just just a little
videotape. It's very simple obviously. Um and the person staffing the cooling center could also uh be available to answer questions and and and even help out. The whole thing would cost less than $2,000. Have these available here so you could just actually move ahead
and get them. But don't wait until the smoke is here to order it. Time to order it is now. Preparedness. So that's my suggestion. I don't know exactly how you fund it and where the money comes from. I have no idea, but I'm just passing
this on to the board for their consideration. Questions? [clears throat] >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Did you buy the filter here in town? >> I ordered it from Amazon. >> Okay. >> Couldn't get them in town. I did buy the MV 8s, which is only half as effective.
to make it clear. What that means is if you wanted to um filter a room, okay, first of all, has to be you have to close the doors. You can't keep your windows open. Defeats the purpose. Um a MV 8 filter might take three hours of
running to clear most of the smoke out of the room. A MV 13 would do it in half the time. It's a So even a lower quality filter is better than nothing, but the higher quality filter is better. And they don't even stock these anywhere in town. Murf 13s. And I bought I ordered
them online. I got two filters for like 25 bucks. And I'm sure if your county purchasing officer or whoever does this stuff um can can get a better deal. Buy them in bulk, buy them wholesale, whatever. Minister in trouble. >> Thank you. And and thank you for that
suggestion. Um we have an emergency management meeting uh I think at noon today if I'm not mistaken. Is that correct, Grace? So, I would um I would recommend that we bring this recommendation to that team because we are working on what our plan is going to be as we move forward to have a
discussion about how that fits within the overall structure and plan and then bring a recommendation back to the board next Tuesday um at our board meeting about how we're going to um support the community in this in this in the air
quality sense as we move forward. But I I also would like to hear from our public health director as I know she's leading the effort around air quality if if that's okay chair. >> Absolutely. >> Sure. I mean we've talked about Frank has emailed so we've been talking about
the idea of doing some more proactive work with the community about preparing for poor air quality and I think this would be a project that would fit within that. Um, we still have some details to work out, but I think it's a great idea to provide people with ways to improve
their indoor air quality because as Frank says, if we're giving a recommendation that people can't follow, it it doesn't really do much good. So, yeah, I would support this. >> Yeah, Commissioner Gamble. >> Yeah, thank you. Thank you, Frank. Um,
a workshop requires people, you know, to be present. Mhm. >> I'm wondering as an alternative to that and creating accessibility that if if we were to do a a YouTube video
um that you could demonstrate uh ideally uh if you had the science behind it, you could say here's an affordable air purifier. >> [clears throat] >> Commissioner, there are many YouTube videos out there, some better than
others and some with the science behind it done by professionals. Now, let me just clarify. I am not a an engineer. I'm not an air quality specialist. However, I have I do have a lot of experience in this because this is what I worked on back at CDC when we were learning about H5N1.
>> Yeah. >> And so, I I was very involved in that. And when COVID started, some of you may not know or may know, I don't know, um I designed, specified, and had manufactured over 200 and and imported over 200,000 masks which were then
distributed about half sold, half given away, whatever. Uh but um so I do have some background in this. >> Sure. >> Uh but there are a lot of YouTube videos out there. We can certainly reference it. one of my >> We do have one on our um Facebook page last week from the EPA,
>> but but you can't just for some people, yeah, for some people that's plenty. >> Um for some people having a person there and having the materials there, that's it. He's not just telling them, you're saying, "Come here. You have the material. We have the fans. We have the filters. We have the duct tape. We have
a staff member who's there anyway, uh who can answer any questions you may have if you can afford it. This is the cost of the materials. $6075 a box. Okay. For the for the four for the four-sided one. This one's about $35. Yeah.
>> Um if you can afford it, please reimburse us. If you can't reinfor I as an option I'm just thinking >> oh as addition absolutely >> you can have a workshop if you want to come in person but and it's good that there is a link because there are very
detailed and we all know watching YouTube some people do it you know and they've got the science behind it. So you say if you're in this type of situation, you could do this approach which is going to give you the best and
it's it it takes you x number of minutes, hours to clean a room of this size or whatever else. So a person can make that decision >> and um >> uh but >> um resourcefulness is is uh an important
uh response to need and I appreciate you're making us aware of it just how we can get that message out and to what extent we can you know provide the materials. Uh but
yeah, some people are, as we know, when an emergency hits, uh it's an opportunity to make money in some cases. And what we're trying to do is you don't have to throw money at it necessarily. You can go to what extent you want, but
here's a resourceful way of being able to address need. Yeah. >> So our our response is genuine and not financially driven. Yeah. >> Yeah. Um, and again, just just as an FYI, the Murf 13 level filter that I have here, there were two of them from
Amazon, two of them for like 25 bucks. I prefer to shop locally when I can, when I can't, I do what I got to do. [clears throat] >> I asked if they could be special. They don't stock them here in town. I asked if they could be. Yes. $45 each. >> So, what I paid $25 for on Amazon. Sure,
they can order them. They'll be here several days. Two of them would cost you $90. Yeah. >> And yeah, I would be inclined just given previous experience in my life to negotiate with the company of the
circumstance and it's it's good it's good press for them. >> Yeah. When they respond to to see >> Yeah. But but but the key is going to be to have the have the materials have the supplies here ready to go
when you need it. not order them and get get it in a few days. >> Yeah. Bravo. And um yeah, my suggestion or thought was that we should partner with our local businesses to go to to provide uh to to provide options. Um but
um economies of scale or supply chain, whatever issues might be, but I I trust the emergency management team will will look at it. And I think it's an excellent idea and a really excellent option. It's the way to go. Basically, >> as far as bang for the buck goes, it's >> right.
>> Can't be beat. >> Well, well, the local partners could order on Amazon, jack them up $5, look really good. It's inexpensive marketing, but more importantly, they're here. >> Yeah. >> And I do know we have we have businesses
that contribute without saying a word. Oh, >> a lot of money for a lot of like for housing, for all sorts, not just for school related things. So, >> they do cost. Yeah. >> Yeah, they do cost or they don't even charge cost. They just eat it.
>> So, >> yeah. Oh. Oh, yeah. I I believe me, I wasn't >> sure. Oh, no. >> I wasn't bad mousing our local businesses. No. Um, >> you're just >> the reality. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. If you can spend if you spend public money, that's that's different.
>> Sure. Sure. Yeah. >> Well, thank you. Thank youelcome. And uh yeah, I'll be very uh interested to hear back um next Tuesday just uh what we can do or if if any action needs to happen. I mean, perhaps there's enough
uh leeway that the team can just do it or whatever. So, but yeah. >> Oh, related to this, um Grace, you had mentioned staffing. There is a Signal chat group. I don't know if any of you use Signal. Um I do. My daughter told me that there's this chat group going about
the called it's called fire mutual aid Cook County completely unofficial grassroots people and there's about 50 members of it now and actually that's where I found out that you could buy these fans at the home center. Um so I I
did I drove over there and bought and bought the fan they had first time I went they didn't have any message came out that they have some now. I'm sure they're all gone now. Uh but but they have some that would be an excellent source of uh grassroots information and
um and volunteers um to help staff your cooling center, your evacuation center, and so on. Um I realize that people are overwhelmed with information. Uh I'm happy to be part of that. I can
be a leazison for that if you like. If you want to put a message out, just let me know. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. One of the one of the challenges um at least that I'm hearing in the fire briefings is uh consistent and accurate information. And so
>> um I want to be careful that we're not um creating more avenues of confusion. >> No, but for a call for volunteers. Yeah, absolutely. Something like that. Uh I know I know they put out a call for volunteers as did many places. um a call
for uh snacks and stuff for the fire department and we were overwhelmed. We got huge amounts in. I know it's not that wasn't the only channel. >> Yeah. >> Um but I know that they sent somebody down to Costco for a Costco run and come back with a car load full of stuff. Um that's grassroots.
>> So for not not to disseminate information, there's plenty of official information. Sure. Go to your go to your incident command public information officer. You go to Sure. Got got that. But for other types of things, grassroots is sometimes a better way to go because you you're getting people who
wouldn't participate in the um traditional government sponsored channels. They're not going to go to the public health and human services Facebook page. >> Um so [clears throat]
just just one more channel to reach people. >> Yeah. Thank you. Um, excellent. Um, I know you have to leave, Frank. Is there anything else that you would like to touch on in our uh committee reports?
We haven't had our community health board, so we don't have to. No. >> Um, >> unfortunately, I I can't report on the advisory council meeting, public health advisory council, because 10 minutes after the meeting started, I was called for fire department page.
>> Fair enough. >> For the fires. So yeah, and Commissioner Gamble, you were there. >> Okay. Well, thank you for your service. >> Thank you. Yeah, best too. >> You >> Well, then we'll bounce back here to um the beginning of our committee reports and we start with the active living
steering committee, Commissioner White. >> I haven't met >> No. >> No. [clears throat] And uh and I was uh on the on the hook for the AEOA because you couldn't attend my last meeting. Funny story, it was during our AMC
district uh one conference day and uh and I was attempting to attend >> virtually in the car and was notified I'm not the alternate. So they wouldn't let me in.
[laughter] >> You are the alternate. >> They AOA has it as Christian Stoley is the alternate. So uh I didn't I didn't argue. I didn't fight. I was just like, "Okay, >> but I figured they'd they often have uh
challenges with quorum and so I figured they would want who they could get." But man, [laughter] >> they are pretty picky. So, yeah. So, that's my report for a [laughter] gone once.
>> And I thought I was the alternate because I had been the previous, you know, primary. So >> a lot of confusion asked you because you had history. Yep. Right in there. >> Frank, thank you so much for that. >> Thank you. Thank you. Take care. As you
>> need [clears throat] >> so so my apologies for not having more there, but it was kind of a funny uh [laughter] back and forth there for a little bit cuz >> Well, what secrets were they telling that day? >> I know. >> Well, you don't know. >> No, I don't know. That's the whole thing. [laughter] >> How about getting the minutes? Do you
get the minutes? I'm sure we can get the minutes. Yeah. >> And they don't they're not usually forthcoming until the day before. >> Oh, because they draft and then they have to approve them. Yeah. >> Yeah. So, [clears throat and cough] >> well, so so that was something. But, um,
>> I'll remind myself too. [laughter] >> Well, and you were busy as well, so that wouldn't have worked anyways. So, that's cuz after they told me that, I thought, yeah. Yeah. Anyways, >> I can say one thing about the AEOA and I don't know the official name for it, but annually they have a big huge comm
community celebration and they for all of and it's >> it's in the civic center or something or >> it's well no it's in the in uh the range where they have um and they do so much more like putting up housing like
putting homeless people in shelters like to have a real place to live. So they they do much more in that part of the state and they have an annual barbecue and they get people to come together and
and I did ask the um or sent that along to the if there was anyone on the uh council on aging and they sent it to the bus drivers >> the AEO bus drivers if they would be interested in attending because that
would I don't know if anyone went fun. >> Yeah, >> I went to that once and it was very impressive. We had a AOA meeting just after it in the event center that it was being held at, but holy cow, it was like >> well attended.
>> Yeah. Imagine the community center um curling rink area times 4 filled with people. >> It was just like whoa. Okay. It's a whole another level over >> over there with population. So, um Okay.
Okay, that brings us to the Arrowhead Health Alliance. Anything to report there? Okay. >> Arrowhead Regional Corrections. Uh, Commissioner Gamble. >> Yeah, [clears throat] thank you, Mr. Chair. So, um,
the, um, at our last meeting, which was the 17th of this month, uh, the Arrowhead Regional Corrections Facility is the third largest corrections institution within the state. uh but it ranks first as far as the largest service area
serving the five counties that are uh participants. And um the budget was presented and uh during the 18 or 2018 budget process, the board of directors made a decision to make an annual contribution to the
capital improvement operations fund balance in the amount of $400,000. So that that commitment [clears throat] was made in 2018 and as we're looking at the 2027 budget, uh they brought before us two options
that were presented. Um and it we could either continue to uh comply with the policy to contribute 400,000 uh to the capital improvement operations fund balance or in an effort to reduce the 2027 budget's impact on partnering
counties. Option two would reduce the contribution to 300,000. Um as uh part of that discussion is as we are aware and we often do this when we look at non-mandated organizations
uh when they're asking for taxpayer dollars. If they have a significant fund balance why are they not dipping into their fund balance? So part of this uh proposal to reduce the contribution from 400 300,000 was predicated on the fact
that the fund balance has built up and when they go to legislators and ask for money and that the legislators typically will look at well you got this fund balance why are you asking for the money? So it's it's twfold. Um, another
proposed uh change in the 2027 budget uh that would benefit both Lake and Cook County involves the office specialist position in support of the probation officers. Currently, Lake County has one clerical full-time employee assigned and
Cook County has one clerical full-time employee assigned. The Cook County Office specialist recently submitted her resignation and ARC has taken the opportunity to re-examine clerical workloads and the prospect for budget reduction in the two counties. It is
believed that one shared Cook and Lake County full-time employee complete all clerical can complete all clerical work in both counties. Prior to the most recent clerical hiring in Cook, ARC ran without a dedicated Cook clerical staff
for many months and multiple times as it's been difficult uh to fill the position in um in Graham Marray. So ARC has no issues with having the Lake County clerical specialists cover work
in Cook County during those months. So there are only five probation officers between the two counties which is a manageable workload for one clerical staff. So ARC believes that having one clerical doing the work for the two
counties is viable and fiscally responsible. Therefore ARC intends to reduce both Lake and Cook's clerical complement from one full-time employee to 1/ half for each county. In simpler terms, you would share the cost for one
full-time staff. This would reduce Lake and Cook County's annual contribution to ARC by approximately $40,000 each. Um, a reduction of 17.66% over what we contributed in 2026.
So, uh, Becky, the director did, uh, email the two, uh, sitting commissioners on that board to ask their opinion. And um I felt that uh given their experience having the co the individual covering in
the position with Lake County that it was well reasoned and certainly if the board has any you know response to that we can express that but >> I have a question that includes Grand
Portage their probation officer or no who re I mean they have one that is Sterling who's who's approaching probation very handson and involved very he is personally involved in the lives more
than just meeting right however >> so the probation officers are not changing right it's correct >> it's the clerical support >> but do does and I don't I can't answer that question as to whether the clerical report I I think that Becky would have indicated
>> uh you know how that would affect Grand Portage, but I can certainly >> get clarification on that. >> The financial anything with that, but I do know this. >> Yeah, the probation officers are there and I don't know that Grand Portage has had clerical support in the past or if
our position supported Glenn Grand Portage in that regard, >> but >> um Mr. Trouble, you had your hand. >> Yeah, I don't know the answer to that either. My assumption would be that that he would receive support just like any
other probation officer within ARDC, but I'm I'm not certain on that. We would have to ask. But my question would be um is that position going to be fully will they will they office full-time in Lake County or will they split their
time between Cook and Lake? And the only reason I ask that is it has impact on our future building >> study. Sure. Um my understanding is is that because when we have been without that position filled that it's been
filled by the individual in in Lake and so that that individual would remain in Lake County but service Cook County from the Lake County position. >> Okay. >> But I can I can get clarification on
that as well. But [clears throat] I I'm assuming that the experience has informed the recommendation and it would continue that way or if they were saying that they would split their time between the two counties that
they would indicate that. But I'll I'll follow up on that. >> Um, has there been feedback from probation officers on this? Um I uh I can't answer that question
although um what Becky administrator for uh ARC has said is that uh the experience has been such that it's >> it's fulfilled uh the the need when we have been without that the clerical
support from Blake has been able to handle it because we only have five probation officers. >> Yeah. But can I can ask that question as well? >> Yeah. And the reason um I'm asking is because we've als we've
had a hard time recruiting and retaining probation officers. So if they have less support, it'll only make it harder to recruit and retain. And so that's >> Yeah. And and that's you know, respectfully, that's that's an assumption that the problem is they
aren't getting the support. >> No, no, no. I'm just saying. You know what? You know what I'm saying? >> Uh well, I flipped it around. Um I'm not saying that is the reason we've had a hard time but I know with less support
it would be harder you know like for for example if uh uh if an administrator had no if uh [laughter] if if um the EDA say uh had a director
who was doing all of the clerical duties as well it's a lot harder to get the the the the the the more pressing uh higher level things done and so uh that support not being there you know that's why I'm concerned about the probation officers is
>> yeah well and but in this scenario I mean >> there's enough support >> this scenario given there's only five probation officers our experience has told us that you can have a part-time position in each county >> and so but they can ask the question um
has have the probation officers and the two counties weighed in on this and and so I I >> and maybe that's not appropriate. Maybe it's their supervisor, right? Maybe that's But I'm just That's where my thoughts weren't. >> Yeah. >> Well, and we had
we had a probation officer. It's not like they come and go like administrators. [laughter] We've had Sorry, you had to throw that in there. No. Um we had one Oh, I don't know. He was here 10 or 15
years because I had one of my students then had [clears throat] to leave school and was under and I just and then he was someplace else and I just more than once offered like this was a child who didn't
know good touch but for some reason he bonded to me >> with me like this is and so uh but that was many years ago but he was there a very long time. >> Mhm. Uh in the presentation at the last
meeting uh at at NERK, Phil who was in charge of court and field >> Mhm. >> I made a presentation and the number of senior staff in his department, you're talking 28, 35, 26,
38, >> they're all gone. >> Amazing the longevity. what it says is that people stay with an organization that they feel good and welcome working there. And um I commented on it because
when he showed that the key staff, it was like, "Wow, that's amazing." And so when he was going through on down to probation officers and each of the five counties and and regions within the counties, [clears throat] I looked at the longevity in those positions and
there were two counties where there is considerable turnover. And often times you'll hear when Phil gives the court and field report that we finally got a probation officer in Graham. Um, and so I asked him, do you know why it is that
it's difficult recruiting in Graham Ray? Is it and and you know to get a a context to understand that? >> And uh for some people it's it's a cost related to the pay, the cost to live there or can't find housing that's
affordable based upon their wage or it's I didn't know it was so remote and I'm used to big city living. You know what I'm saying? But understanding that says to us what do we need to do in order to make it attractive? So
>> or is there anything we can do? >> Right. >> Well, >> remote is remote. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And it depends. But I'll follow up on the on the three questions. >> Yeah. And the housing housing is was my understanding just and you guys are going to have way better perspective than me just being at Arrowhead Regional
Corrections. you know, I haven't sat on that, but um just worked with um probation supervisors on different different uh groups. So, um the other concern I had was about the 300,000 capital improvement. Again, you're going to have way better perspective on this
as far as what the capital improvement needs are, but I know costs have only gone up and so to reduce how much you're putting towards things >> seems like you're shooting yourself in the foot for >> Well, you have to have you have to have context, right? Yeah. And and that's the
point. I mean, if if if you don't have context, then the the question is aptly questioned. Yeah. But um um when uh Becky who's in the position as I've mentioned before has been in each
department each segment of NERK overall and um I sit on the the um um human resource committee that evaluates her and it's just amazing the feedback that comes back from staff and that's because
she has perspective and context. Yeah. >> So I I say that simply to say that that uh in looking at the financial and with the financial committee that this recommendation is made based upon a context that understands the importance
of uh of being good fiscal stewards. There are three or four quotes that came out of the meeting that I would re repeat in in our budget process and I debated whether to repeat them today relative to u fiscal responsibility
and uh because we did not have a quorum we could not make any decisions that we could not approve the proposed budget and so the chair said well then we would just you know go to the next meeting, which gives us no time to really
deliberate or make any changes. And I said, well, because we have a fudiciary responsibility as board members, we need to be sure that we're protecting the integrity of process here. So, we looked at either holding a special meeting,
which was very difficult at this point prior to our August meeting, or to present a budget that had narrative. And um so all that simply to say that understanding context and working very
diligently to be diligent and good stewards of what's entrusted, I I have uh confidence in in the the financial in uh committee and their recommendations that came before us. And um but I I
understand the the question in the without the context. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. And um I you know um part of my concern too and again I have no context so I'm just talking here
>> but part of my concern too is some >> um perspectives on fiscal responsibility are thinking right now but I think it's really important to look at the whole like capital improvement project say
like if we're cutting now what does that mean for capital in the future. And so I have no context, but those are just my my thoughts like is it fiscally responsible to give us less pain now but more pain financial pain later or is it
more responsible to give us a little more financial pain now and less later? You know, just and so again, no context. That's just the my my >> Well, if you put it if you put it in your personal context as a family, you
you certainly understand or you should be aware of where you're at as a family and what you're going to do for improvements on your house and what you're going to do for your vacation and how what you're going to do and how many times you go out to eat. That's based upon where you're at. You might have an expected bonus that you've gotten
annually that the company says you're not going to get. That means there's a ripple effect as to your response to that. And so in this context where there's organizations we sit on boards where we feel that the integrity and process has great oversight and that
uh their experience has demonstrated that their decisions are wise and I I have that confidence and and the other thing about it is is that that if if we move forward in the context of of just tax and spend without
>> you know this is planning capital planning That's what I'm talking about. I'm not talking about like just Yeah. >> Yeah. But but you have board members that come from the five counties that are saying we can't have a 21% levy this year. We can't. And and so
they're hearing that and they're really looking at it. I my response when Becky had sent me this email about the going to the halftime. I said, I really appreciate the due diligence, the willing to look at everything and to see what we can do in response to the
concerns that are expressed by the commissioners there. So anyway, but I'll get back uh with an update on the three questions which has to do with support for grand portage. Were probation officers involved and u how comfortable
are we with the decision to reduce the capital contribution? >> Yeah. and not how comfortable but what are the impacts of reducing the capital um contribution is what I would be wondering. >> Yeah. >> Uh administrator trouble. Sorry.
>> Thank you, Chair Mills. Um in conversations that I've had with Becky, the administrator or the director, um she is willing to come to a board meeting at any time as well. So, if we do want more information and specifics about this or any updates to the board,
we could certainly invite her. >> Thank you. and she has we have met her she has been here but again I don't have any context and I trust Commissioner Gamble and Commissioner White and and ARC board to to have this context and to make these decisions but those are just
concerns that came to the front of my mind. So >> and Oh go ahead. And if Becky were to make the journey here at some point, she would be the person that could explain to the public what is nerk
>> like Nerk is a lock up. Well, it's a little more than that. And it's when you talk about capital improvements, it's not new a new kitchen or bathroom facilities. They have buildings and they have programs. They have a farm
>> buildings. Yeah. So they have expenses and I think it's valuable for the public to learn more about that that place. The the other way to look at it is is to say that if in 2018
we made a commitment of $400,000 contribution that what has happened in 2018 that informed that decision and at 2026 how have things changed that just
because we made that decision do we continue to operate that way? So well said. >> I I I appreciate my comment would just say the the diligence that is demonstrated in looking at everything. Yeah. >> Well, that's that's thank you. That's
very well said. Um and there we know there have been significant changes in the demands of our our um our uh probation system, our our jail system, everything. You know, it's
>> very different landscapes. And I I would say that um and I've said this before as as Commissioner White, but um Nerk is is an amazing facility and there isn't a board meeting that goes by that there
aren't letters from parents or from individuals who have participated in the program. And legislators recognize too that NERK is unique in that it it addresses human need and it is not a a
punitive approach to changing people's lives. So it it's we are very fortunate to uh as a as a county to have that relationship. >> Mhm. >> I agree. Thank you.
>> All right. Anything else there? Okay. Uh, community health board, we have not met. Uh, last time I told you about hot virus and some of those other um and Ebola, some of those other scaries that um the doctor's report had
and um I'll have a report next month uh on it's only every other month for the community health board. Um the Cook County local advisory council for mental health ran is not here today. Uh I think Grace gave some
>> highlights there. I don't know if there's anything else we want to add. Commission. >> No, it's just to to the uh combining of the two boards. I think it's far more you get there's more information.
It's worth my time more on a personal level. I get a lot more out of it and there's better conversations, communications. I feel it's really a good thing. >> That's great feedback. Yeah, I just really like it. >> Thank you.
Um, anything from the Council on Aging, Commissioner White? >> No. >> Okay. >> I mean, they're just moving forward. >> Yeah. >> Head down. Yeah. >> Um, urgency preparedness, Commissioner Sullivan. Well, if you'll recall last
month um both Grace and I talked a little bit about the um meeting where we reviewed the high highway 61 or Stewart River fire >> in Lake County and um you know thinking back to that that was um very timely
given what we're experiencing here. um had an opportunity to to think about lessons learned from Lake County. Um and all the education and outreach that both public health is doing that commissioners are doing at uh different meetings is really helpful. Um, we've
had, as you know, two public meetings up the Gunflint Trail to uh discuss the fire and yesterday with having the Nemo team in there, one of the things that was really excellent is they talked
about the weather intelligence that they use to look at fire behavior, um, all the modeling, all the science behind it, that they can really only go out about 7 days. Um but they made a point of talking about the fact that we are
entering into the last half of July and August which is going to be hot um and can be extremely challenging. And they reminded the public that fighting these fires are very different. It's not only because of the extreme terrain in that
area, but these are many of them fires that are in the duff. So 2 to 3 feet below the level of the surface and it's old twigs and pine needles and debris that's rotting but also burning [laughter and clears throat]
and um talked a excuse me a little bit about um the resources that are coming into our community. We've had people arrive from Colorado who had been fighting fires out there. people from Arizona. We have the
big shinook which is the heavy lift helicopter which is used for fighting fires and also they have a really wide ramp at the back. It's got two helicopter blades on the front, a tail rotor and this big ramp where they can load all kinds of people and equipment
in it. Um so the airport is incredibly busy right now and we are sharing resources and switching them around on a daily basis from Elely to Hibbing um duth as well and even ore. Um yesterday we ordered a portaotti because we want
to make sure our sept septic system is um it's designed at a small usage and so we're getting those resources into the airport. And then just a reminder that although we are all really consumed with our wildfire that there extreme
wildfires all over the United States, we're sharing a lot less resources than we had um you know a year ago. The firefighting um numbers have been reduced from 30,000 to 20,000. And so we're sharing those nationwide. We can't
call on our Canadian partners because they're overwhelmed. they're at the highest level of national preparedness as well. So we actually have crews from New Zealand and Australia that may be joining us. Um so I would just encourage
people to continue to follow those meetings. They are recorded. They've got them on the WTIP website as well as the Forest Service website. and encourage our community in the West End to attend at Looten tonight or at a minimum be there online to participate in those
meetings. Um, we're going through mass like crazy. I went through all of the masks that were left in emergency management. You know, Grace has mentioned we have more coming today. Um, but with that air quality the way it is,
um, they're flying off the shelves. So, dig out any you have in your home because we are going to need them again. >> I'll add that you can reuse them. You don't need to use a new one every single day. You can use them until they're visibly soiled. So, you can use them multiple times before picking a new one
up. >> Absolutely. And the other thing that we're going through are all the handouts on air quality, wildfire mitigation. So, Grace and Emergency Management are um making more copies so that uh Commissioner Stoley has them for tonight
in Ludson. >> And Minister Oh, Commissioner White, >> would you please tell the public what NEMO is? >> Oh, it's >> and who's in charge of all this fire stuff at this moment? >> It's the National Incident Management Organization. Um and that means it's a
really high level fire to be able to get those people to come to our community. It kind of um would make us think that um this is a bigger deal than some of the other fires that we've had in the past. Um and they're doing an
outstanding job. They've set up at the community center. There are a lot of of uh different US Forest Service and incident um vehicles that are up at the community center. And then also here in our boardroom, we have kind of our local
group that is working. So, >> and they will be here in a half an hour >> to provide us an update to the board on the work that they're doing, um why they're here. >> Um we don't have a plan of action yet
from them of how they're going to address the fires. They're still working on that with their fire behavioralists and with the meteorologists and others on their team, but they'll share the information that they do have at this point with us. >> Yeah. And yesterday, one thing they focused on was that their firefighting
on the west end of the Boundary Waters is to right now be protecting property, their businesses, cabins, um, resorts, things of that nature. Here we are burning in an area where there is none of that yet. All right. And so, um, and
the fire, the little knife fire at the end of the Gunflint Trail is 0% contained because they aren't physically doing anything at this point. They've just been able to get aircraft in the air, the helicopter yesterday, and get a
good view of the fire from the air. So, >> Commissioner Trouble. >> Okay. Thank you, Chair. Um, one more item. I wanted to make sure since we're talking about this that the community is aware that forest uh the PIO's the public information officers from the Forest Service are doing a daily
check-in with Cali at WTIP sometime between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Northshore morning. So, they're providing a daily update to the community via that >> via WTIP. I bet they'd record and play that at the
Northshore NewsHour. But >> I I'm assuming, but I have not been able to confirm that yet. >> All right. Thank you, Commissioner Sullivan. Thank you, Commissioner Trouble. Commissioner Campbell, you had some >> I was just going to say that if communication had the ability to put
fires out, this fire would be out. [laughter] >> Agreed. Uh let's see. Uh anything from Nico? Commissioner Starling, >> we will meet next month. >> Okay, thank you. Uh, Northeast Minnesota
Office of Job Training Commissioner Gamble, nothing that no prog well priorities. Um, Northshore collaborative has not met. Uh, advisory council we've touched on already and uh, food access council. Um,
what can I share? I think I already shared the food as medicine program and that has now started. It has begun. Uh um this isn't directly access related to the food access council, but the north uh northwest food project and community center have their farmers market um and
that uh is normally in the community center parking lot. That's moved to St. John's uh Catholic Church parking lot. So spread that word. Um >> I guess that's all I have to um to share about the food access council. I believe the um
>> and the farmers market is moved to ISD 166. >> I think the farmers market is moving to the Catholic Church parking lot, but then the second harvest mobile food pantry is moving to ISD 166. So, both of those >> had taken place in front of the
community center, but because of the emergency operations center that's opening there, they're both moving to different locations. So, I know we're trying to share those messages out on social media as well. >> Commissioner Trouble, you had something. >> I have just one more item to add, but
not on that. >> Oh, okay. Uh, and then we touched on bit of the order. Frank, did anything else anyone wants to share there? >> Okay. >> Thank you. Um, the the one item I wanted to share is that we are struggling um with the pool at the YMCA and I know a
lot of community members are concerned about that. So, I just wanted to touch on that. Um given the air quality, we had to shut down that facility temporarily because it was pulling ex external air into the facility. >> Um and so Brooke was sending me our facilities director sending me messages
right now that he is on actively on the roof at the Y. We are trying to fix that. Um we are trying to also um take some steps to make sure that the air quality is where it needs to be in the facility. Um, but since we are in this meeting, I wanted to make sure I shared
that with the community. >> Is it safe to text on roofs? >> That's a good [laughter] Is he tied in? Does ocean know? >> Good question is tied in. >> Um, would you explain why is it the whole YMCA? I mean, why do we why does he have to suck in air from the pool
area and send it out? There's >> Sure. So, it's just in the pool area where we're pulling in ex external air. we were able to shut it down so that we're just recycling internal air within the rest of the facility, but we wanted to shut that down so that it doesn't
impact the rest of the facility. And when we did, it created some other issues that we're now addressing. >> And the reason for the pool uh air stuff is to ventilate >> the chlorine. >> Chlorine air. Yeah, it's a whole thing. >> Correct. Correct. Yes, it's a whole
thing. So, more than anything, I just wanted the community to know that we're working on it and we'll do our best to try to get that up and running as soon as we can. >> Thank you. Thank you, Brooke. >> Okay. Well, with nothing else, we are adjourned.
>> And then we did post the special meeting as 10:00 a.m. So, we'll do the special meeting really quick and then we'll take a break before we have committee of the whole. Yeah. [clears throat] >> And this special meeting, I'm not sure if anyone's even seen that yet, but Okay.
>> Just real quickly, um, >> did you know that Schmidz, um, and Amy that they bought that West