Santa Clara County Municipal Code Ch. VI Health Advisory Commission

Footnotes:

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Editor's note— Ord. No. NS-300.632, § 1, adopted Feb. 15, 2000, repealed Ch. VI, §§ A18-115—A18-119, which pertained to Emergency Medical Care Commission. Section 5 of said ordinance added provisions pertaining to the Health Advisory Commission to read as herein set out in §§ A18-115—A18-123. See the Code Comparative Table for a detailed analysis of inclusion of said ordinance.

Cross reference— Boards and commissions generally, Div. A6.

There is in the County an advisory commission known as the Health Advisory Commission. The Commission shall act in an advisory capacity to the Board of Supervisors, and other government agencies or officials as required by law or ordinance, regarding issues which impact the health of the public, excluding strategic business planning or decisions, collective bargaining activities, or contracts made by the health and hospital system.

In this advisory capacity, the Commission will use data and information to assess needs and to identify priorities which it will use to develop recommendations regarding potential Santa Clara County responses or actions. Such recommendations may include policy changes, including those Santa Clara County could take or advocate for at other levels of government or through collaborative public/private partnerships; they may also concern service enhancement or coordination, system changes, resource allocation and infrastructure to deliver, monitor and evaluate Santa Clara County action or response.

(Ord. No. NS-300.632, § 5, 2-15-00)

The following shall be the duties of the Commission:

(a) Review the health needs and trends of the residents in the County across the age continuum, including the prenatal period, infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, and across lifestyle preferences.

(b) Review factors impacting the health of the public, including the environment, and personal risk factors, including but not limited to alcohol and substance abuse.

(c) Review the adequacy of the continuum of health and human service system services, including their collective focus on assessment, prevention, preparedness, intervention and treatment, monitoring, mitigation, follow-up and reporting.

(d) Review the adequacy of a balanced focus on primary prevention, early identification and screening, as well as intervention and treatment.

(e) Review the adequacy of health and human services and policies, programs, providers, and facilities to meet identified health needs in emergency and non-emergency situations.

(f) Develop coordinated plans necessary to address identified gaps in service or policy; or network with existing groups that develop specific plans and review and provide input on such plans.

(g) Use the available data to make recommendations for needed action in the County, including, but not limited to: any needed shifts in service direction that may be indicated; any needed coordination of service indicated for the provision of the continuum of services, including the full scope of services which impact the health of the public; any resource allocation change that may be indicated; any policy change that may be needed to address the identified needs.

(h) Establish mechanisms, such as community forums, to bring the voice of the public as one aspect of information to be used in making recommendations for County action or response.

(i) Make recommendations for needed County changes and advocate for needed policy or resource allocation changes in other local jurisdictions, as well as state and federal levels of government.

(Ord. No. NS-300.632, § 5, 2-15-00)

The Commission shall ensure that its activities do not conflict with those of other boards, commissions and councils in Santa Clara County. It shall endeavor to cooperate and coordinate with any other bodies with overlapping jurisdiction.

(Ord. No. NS-300.632, § 5, 2-15-00)

(a) The Commission shall consist of 11 members. Each member of the Commission shall be appointed by the Board of Supervisors. In order to ensure that membership in the Health Advisory Commission does not fall below 11, the Board of Supervisors shall appoint new members as necessary.

(b) The 11 appointed members shall include the following:

(1) One physician;

(2) One pediatrician;

(3) One dentist;

(4) One registered nurse;

(5) One person who is a health educator;

(6) One person from a health-based nonprofit; and

(7) Five members at large, one from each of the five County Districts.

(c) The term of each appointed member of the Commission shall be four years.

(d) Members of the Commission shall reflect the ethnic diversity of the client population in the County and shall represent the demographics of the County as a whole to the extent feasible.

(e) No member shall be eligible to serve on such Commission for more than three consecutive terms in addition to any portion of any unexpired term which may have been served.

(f) If a member misses three of any six consecutive meetings, or five of any 12 consecutive meetings, the Commission may vote to recommend to the Board of Supervisors that the position be declared vacant.

(Ord. No. NS-300.632, § 5, 2-15-00; Ord. No. NS-300.757, 12-12-06; Ord. No. NS-300.804, § 1, 11-10-09)

The Director of the Public Health Department or designee shall be ex officio secretary of the Commission and shall provide secretarial assistance to the Commission. Additional staff support shall be subject to the approval of the County Executive.

(Ord. No. NS-300.632, § 5, 2-15-00; Ord. No. NS-300.814, 4-13-10)

(a) Regular meetings of the Commission shall be scheduled bimonthly. All meetings shall be open to the public and shall be subject to the Ralph M. Brown Act, Government Code § 54950 et seq., relating to meetings of local agencies.

(b) A majority of the members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business and no act of the Commission shall be valid unless at least a majority of the entire membership concurs therein.

(Ord. No. NS-300.632, § 5, 2-15-00)

(a) The Commission shall submit an annual work plan to an appropriate committee of the Board of Supervisors no later than December 31 for consideration by the committee in January and final approval by the Board of Supervisors no later than March 31.

(b) The Commission shall submit a report to the Board of Supervisors every three years after the establishment of the Commission, on or before June 30, pursuant to Division [Section] A6-153 of the Santa Clara County Ordinance Code.

(Ord. No. NS-300.632, § 5, 2-15-00)

(a) The Commission shall organize itself in accordance with Section 506 of the County Charter. It shall prepare bylaws for its own conduct which shall include the election of officers, the time and place of regular meetings, and other such rules as are required.

(b) The Commission may establish such committees or subcommittees for any purpose that will be beneficial in accomplishing the work of the Commission.

(c) Except as otherwise provided by law or bylaws adopted by the Commission, procedures of the Commission shall be governed by the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order.

(Ord. No. NS-300.632, § 5, 2-15-00)

The members of the Commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for any actual and necessary travel expenses pursuant to the provision of Division A31 of this Code. No claim for reimbursement shall be submitted for payment without the approval of a majority of the members of the Commission. The secretary of the Commission shall be responsible for preparing and processing all claims. All claims for necessary travel expenses must be approved by the Board of Supervisors.

(Ord. No. NS-300.632, § 5, 2-15-00)