Board of health committee agrees to policy changes for grant reviews
CHARLEVOIX — A committee tasked with reviewing grants for the Health Department of Northwest Michigan and offering recommendations to its board approved policy changes Tuesday designed to clarify the process.
The department's full board of health will consider the committee changes at its next meeting on Sept. 5.
The board of health passed a motion in June to give authority to its program and evaluation committee to review potential future grants and provide a recommendation to the board for approval or denial.
Acting on recommendations from Dan Thorell, health officer for the department (HDNW), the program and evaluation committee signed off on changes that include providing the health board with a list of current grants for review at the beginning of each calendar year instead of the fiscal year, which is Oct. 1.
At the suggestion of Otsego County commissioner and committee member Jonathan Turnbull, the following was added: "This list is meant to facilitate transparency and any board of health member may request additional information regarding individual grants."
Turnbull's goal was to reiterate the ability of health board members to review all department grants.
Other changes touched on the following:
"The Grant Application Review Form will be completed and submitted within a reasonable time prior to the requested meeting. A description of how the grant fits within the health department’s vision, mission, strategic plan, and/or priorities identified by the Community Health Improvement Plan will be included in the Grant Application Review Form. If the Program and Evaluation Committee is not able to meet or does not make a recommendation, the Grant Application Review Form will be considered by the full Board of Health at the next regular meeting."
"I feel good about where this has landed. Up until now the department has never had a grant review policy. This policy gives the board of health more oversight, especially if the grants require a new program," said Thorell.
More: Emmet County commissioner faces backlash for inaction on community health
The proposed changes come after the program and evaluation committee's Aug. 10 meeting, where members failed to act on two grant applications. One would have provided free dental prevention care to children in Antrim, Emmett, Charlevoix and Otsego counties, while the other would have offered tobacco education in Otsego County schools.
After health board member and committee member Josh Chamberlain of Charlevoix County offered motions to move the grant applications forward, the other committee members — including Emmet County Commissioner Rich Ginop, Antrim County Commissioner Jarris Rubingh and Otsego County Commissioner Henry Mason — did not provide a second. Consideration of the grants ended for lack of support.
At Tuesday's meeting, commissioner Don Mapes of Emmet County and Turnbull were in attendance in place of Ginop and Mason and joined the other committee members in unanimously approving the grant review policy changes.
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Also at the Aug. 10 meeting, Mason made comments concerning Frederic Baraga, first bishop of the Diocese of Marquette (1853-1868), and his work with Native Americans. Mason discussed Baraga, American Indians, fur traders and alcohol abuse. His comments can be heard in the Youtube video of the meeting.
Speakers at Tuesday's committee meeting and at August meetings of the Emmet and Otsego county boards criticized Mason's comments, calling them insensitive and perhaps even racist.
"I'm not sure there is much to talk about there. I think they have overplayed that. They picked out a select few words out of the entire conversation," Mason said in response. "When I was speaking to Bishop Baraga, the man had tremendous passion and respect for the people and he had a great disdain for the fur traders. I wasn't referring to it as any kind of remark insulting the Indigenous people. This is just ridiculous."
— Contact Paul Welitzkin at pwelitzkin@gaylordheraldtimes.com.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Board of health committee agrees to policy changes for grant reviews
