To: Board of Health
Through: Jennifer Ludwig, Director, Public Health
Prepared By:
prepared
Monica Kovaci, County Attorney
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presenter
Presenter: Monica Kovaci, County Attorney and Jennifer Ludwig, Director, Public Health
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Subject:
title
c. *Delegation of Signature Authority - Grant Submittals
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The purpose of this presentation is to provide information and answer questions regarding a request to delegate signature authority to the public health director for grant application submittals.
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Background and Discussion: Funding for public health departments comes from both formulaic and competitive sources at the state and federal level. As noted during the Board of Health’s June 29 meeting, the County has identified the following competitive grant opportunities that will need to be submitted to secure department revenue:
• Women, Infants & Children (WIC)
• Cervical Cancer Screening
• Breastfeeding Counselor/Maternal Health
• Nurse Family Partnership
• Maternal Child Health
• Title X: Family Planning
• Harm Reduction Funding: Ryan White, CHAPP, and Biomedical
• Tobacco Prevention
• Immunizations
• Inspection programs
• Onsite Wastewater
Because some of these applications required submittals prior to the establishment of the Board of Health, the Board of County Commissioners amended Resolution 22-049, authorizing the director of the commissioners’ office and director of finance to execute all agreements, contracts, applications, grants and other documents necessary for the organization of the ACPHD and as may be necessary to ensure the Department is able to fully operate beginning on January 1, 2023. The County’s signature authority resolution and the mentioned amendment are attached for your reference.
The County submitted the WIC, cervical cancer screening, breastfeeding counselor/maternal health applications last month. The County also approved the indirect rate for ACPHD use.
In establishing the Board of Health via Resolution 22-167, the Board of County Commissioners specially empowered the Board of Health to meet in an organizational capacity for the purpose of ensuring that the ACPHD is ready to be fully operational on January 1, 2023. Such organizational actions included but was not limited to: selecting a public health director for the ACPHD, recommending a budget for the ACPHD to be included in the 2023 budget for Arapahoe County, and securing such employees, property, contracts and leases as may be necessary to operate the ACPHD beginning on January 1, 2023.
Pursuant to C.R.S. 25-1-508(5), the Board of Health has the authority to determine general policies to be followed by the Public Health Director in administering and enforcing public health laws; to accept and through the Public Health Director to use, disburse, and administer all federal aid, state aid, or other property, services, or moneys allocated to the Public Health Department; and to make agreements that may be required to receive such moneys or other assistance. As part of this authority, the Board of Health may delegate signature authority to department staff to facilitate daily operations.
To facilitate grant applications and funding submittals, staff is recommending delegating authority to execute such agreements to the Public Health Director, or in her absence to her designee. It is further recommended the Board discuss additional signature authority for the Director, consistent with county best practices, to facilitate day-to-day operations.
Fiscal Impact: N/A
Alternatives: N/A
Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends placing this on the August 10th agenda for approval.
Motion: N/A - Informational Item Only.