Wayne County Commissioners issue proclamations for public health, safety awareness
Wayne County Board of Commissioners
Wednesday, April 6 meeting
KEY ACTION Commissioners presented three proclamations highlighting Sexual Assault Awareness Month (April), National Public Health Week (April 4-10) and National Public Safety Telecommunications Week (April 10-16).
DISCUSSION Wayne County Health Commissioner Nicholas Cascarelli and representatives from OneEighty, a behavioral health agency, were on hand for the presentations.
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Gina Patterson, clinical director for OneEighty, said during 2020 and 2021 reports of sexual assault have declined.
“We knew that sexual assaults were happening during the pandemic, they just weren’t getting reported,” Patterson said.
The drop in reported assaults may have been due to victims' fears of contracting COVID-19 or wasting resources during a pandemic while at the hospital receiving forensic examinations, according to Patterson. Recently, OneEighty has been seeing an uptick in the number of assaults being reported.
“One of the foundations of supporting survivors [of sexual assault] is believing them when they tell their story,” said Gayle Byrne, coordinated community response specialist at OneEighty. “Asking them how you can be of support is the most important thing; not making assumptions, but asking them what they need.”
Public health makes strides in helping people live longer, healthier lives
According to the National Public Health Week proclamation, as read by Amstutz, life expectancy in the United States dropped from 2014-2017 in the longest decline since the Great Recession, rising briefly in 2018 before dropping again in 2020.
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The proclamation serves to honor the work done by the Wayne County Health Department, and to encourage better habits among county residents.
“Public health is not just about the health department,” Cascarelli said. “It really takes everyone.” Other governmental agencies like the social services department, and even schools, perform public health work, he said.
Amstutz issued a proclamation for National Public Safety Telecommunications Week, aimed at honoring the three dispatch crews in Wayne County.
The proclamation identified dispatchers as the critical behind-the-scenes link between citizens and emergency personnel, and recognized the work dispatchers do to keep people safe.
OTHER ACTION
Passed a resolution authorizing participation in ODOT road salt contracts awarded this year.
Awarded the contract for the Ruff Road bridge design-build project to V.O. Menuez & Son, Inc.
Approved an amendment to the Ohio Department of Transportation local public agency grant agreement for the resurfacing of East Lincoln Way.
Passed a resolution rejecting bid proposals that opened on April 5 for the Newkirk Road bridge replacement and authorizing the re-advertisement for the same project with a revised estimated cost.
UP NEXT Meets at 9 a.m. April 13.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Public health and safety awareness highlighted by Wayne commissioners
