07/19/2021 Minutes HealthCITY OF GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA
MINUTES OF JOINT HEALTH SPECIAL MEETING
July 19, 2021
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a Special Joint Meeting of the City Council of the City of
Grand Island, Nebraska, the Hall County Board of Supervisors, the Hamilton County Board of
Commissioners, the Merrick County Board of Commissioners, and the Central District Health
Department was conducted at the Grand Island Police Department, 111 Public Safety Drive,
Grand Island, Nebraska on July 19, 2021. Notice of the meeting was given in the Grand Island
Independent on July 14, 2021.
Central District Health Department (CDHD) Board President Ron Peterson called the meeting to
order at 6:00 p.m. Present for the meeting were: CDHD Board members: Chuck Haase, Traci
Dieckmann, Tom Weller, Shay McGowan and Dick Phillips. Others attending were: Hall County
Commissioners Gary Quandt, Karen Bredhauer, Scott Sorensen, Hall County Clerk Marla
Conley, City Councilmembers Jason Conley, Maggie Mendoza, Bethany Guzinski, Mitch
Nickerson, Mark Stelk, Justin Scott, Mike Paulick, City Administrator Jerry Janulewicz, Finance
Director Patrick Brown, and City Clerk RaNae Edwards. Health Department employees: Teresa
Anderson and Jonna Mangeot were present by Zoom, Jeremy Collinson, Cindy Valdez, Colette
Evans, Bridget Haahr, and Cody Rush.
CDHD Chairman Ron Peterson and Executive Director Teresa Anderson welcomed those
attending.
Contact Tracing 101: Jonna Mangeot, Community Health Nurse reported on the process of
contact tracing with regards to COVID, Pertussis (whooping cough), rabbi's, tuberculosis,
meningitis and other diseases. Guidelines were presented with regards to COVID. Currently they
were no longer quarantining people because of the expiration of the Governor's Executive Order
as of June 30, 2021, but COVID cases were increasing. Ms. Anderson stated they didn't know a
lot about the variant and how it mutated and spread, but they did know those that had been
vaccinated were getting along better.
Year in Review: Executive Director Teresa Anderson stated this year had been a Doozy.
Vaccination rates in Nebraska were 49% and the Central District Health Department had 37%.
Those over 65 years old were much more likely to get vaccinated. There were 9,696 positive
cases of COVID out of 39,053 tests taken and 153 deaths. She mentioned concerns with the start
of school and the increase of the variant and would like to see kids get vaccinated. TestNebraska
had been ended.
Ms. Anderson stated they were seeing lingering conditions from those that had COVID like loss
of taste and smell. Reviewed was the Delta variant which was 40% more transmissible. More
people would be hospitalized and more likely to result in ICU and three times more likely to
result in death.
Page 2, City Council Joint Health Meeting, July 19, 2021
She stated what they did know that worked was: vaccines; masks; social distancing; stay home
when ill; and testing when ill with respiratory symptoms. She stated they had a ways to go but
they knew they would win the battle. She stated they would probably see masks mandated again
by the CDC.
She stated most funds received this past year were because of COVID. In the past year they had
to add personnel because of COVID.
Presented was a video of the CDHD activities throughout this past year. She stated CDHD was
20 years old.
Jeremy Collinson stated they were still seeing requests for supplies Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE). He stated they had given out over 2 million gloves. They were concerned
about West Nile but hadn't seen anything yet.
Collette Evans commented on case management services to almost 7,000 people that had tested
positive for COVID. A number of other grants had to be put on hold because their time had been
taken up with COVID. Ms. Anderson answered questions on being better prepared now than
before. She stated vaccinations were key, they had more staff, better prepared for PPE, long term
care liaison, and relationships with the schools.
Ms. Anderson stated even though people had been vaccinated they could get the variant. Those
without the vaccination were more likely to get the variant.
Bud�et Overview. Bridget Haahr, Accounting Manager presented the budget. She stated they
had a balanced budget. Ms. Anderson thanked the Cities and Counties for their contributions.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 7:07 p.m.
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RaNae Edwards
City Clerk