Elsewhere in Columbiana County
Salem funding is put in place for future clinic
By DEANNE JOHNSON Staff Writer
SALEM — H1N1 flu vaccines soon will be available through the Salem Area Health Department, thanks to City Council voting 6-0 at a special meeting Thursday to appropriate the funds.
Councilman David Nestic, who had been out of town for Wednesday’s meeting, was able to return Thursday and avert the need for a third reading on Friday. With six council members, council was able to suspend the statutory and council rules in order to proceed with both the second and third readings, despite some being unsure about the necessary transfers.
The ordinance transferred $12,800 from the general fund to the health department fund and then within the health department fund placed the same amount to be advanced returned into the general fund. Members of council questioned the wording, but Auditor James Armeni did not attend the special meeting.
Councilman Bret Apple said the best he understood the ordinance, which he only learned about at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, was that money was needed to be advanced to cover the administrative costs of providing the H1N1 vaccines at an upcoming clinic in Salem, including for school students. Apple said he was told the cost of the vaccine is free to the city, because it is being covered by the federal government. The cost of administering the vaccine, including the overtime necessary to have the clinic, will be returned to the city eventually from the county health department. The administrative money will come from the state to the county to the local health departments.
Apple said after talking with city Health Commissioner Rick Setty he is 99.9 percent certain the money will be reimbursed and that Setty has that in writing.
Councilman Bud Schory said while council is advancing the money from the general fund, council would be responsible for making sure there was enough in the general fund at the end of the year, and he believed that the money would not be reimbursed before the end of the year.
After learning without the legislation the city health department would not be able to proceed with their clinic, council voted unanimously to advance the money. However, Nestic said he still wanted a better explanation from Armeni about how the funds have been set up.
Councilman Dennis Groves also asked whether there was already a fund for advancing money for the health department or how setting up these funds differs from trying to set up another line item. As an example there has been a much-debated special events fund for the city event to follow the Quaker City Super Nats event next June.
djohnson@mojonews.com
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