Minutes of the Board of Trustees – Wednesday September 12, 2007.
Present: President, Bruce Myers; Secretary, Belen Gomez; Evan Long; Harold Dozier; and Bette George.
Staff: Manager, Michael Alburn.
It was moved by Harold Dozier, seconded by Bette George and unanimously carried that the Minutes of the August meeting be approved as mailed.
Following discussion, it was moved by Evan Long, seconded by Belen Gomez and unanimously carried that the August Bills be approved and ordered paid. See: Board Order to disburse funds No. 4, Exhibit I.
It was moved by Harold Dozier, seconded by Evan Long and unanimously carried that the September Payroll be approved and ordered paid. See: Board Order to disburse funds No. 5, Exhibit II.
None.
The Manager reported on the following items:
Auditor, Michael Oxenreider will be in on Thursday, September 13th to start the annual audit.
Biologist, Kathy Ramirez ordered to bed (August 10) by doctor due to pregnancy. Rehired retired Biologist, Jim Caton (August 22) to come in and assist in lab identifying mosquito collections twice a week, 2 – 5 hours a day.
We have put several dairies on a weekly treatment schedule as breeding and adult populations are high in the following areas:
Ave 384 from Rd 124 to Rd 144 (Boertje and Van Ryn Dairy’s).
Rd 124 from Ave 336 to Ave 352. (Golden West, Elbow Creek, Milk River, and Toney Nunes dairy’s).
Adulticiding regularly along:
Ave 384 to Rd 144, corn, dairies, roadways north and south of 384.
Ave 360 & Rd 52, orchard, corn, roadway.
Ave 352 & Rd 124/ Rd 132, corn, vines, citrus & Dairy Ave.
Adulticiding in the communities of:
Yettem, Traver, Visalia.
Corn is our main problem as adult mosquito populations look for new harborage when harvesting takes place.
One of two Beecomist adulticide ultra low volume mist blowers broke down. We need to send back to have electrical changed out, $3,500.
Web Site, email and press (print and television) being used for notification of public when we adulticide. In addition the Ag Commissioner, City Manager, Environmental Health Director, Kaweah Delta Emergency, Police, Fire, Sherriff, and Board of Supervisors are notified.
Opinion Page gave the District a Thumbs Up for its effort in providing information to the public saying, “the thoroughness and concern … could serve as a model for all public officials.”
The District is conducting surveillance and control work in the Porterville/ Lindsay corridor on behalf of Tulare County. Our effort is being undertaken on Saturdays for ten weeks and involves:
· Answering service requests called in during the week.
· Adult mosquito trapping and submission to the State for WNv determination.
· Inspection and treatment of known mosquito breeding sites.
· Aerial surveillance of swimming pools.
Delta has received $45,658 ($28,636 wages, $8,626 chemical, $8,396 surveillance) to do the work. The crew unanimously agreed to work the overtime and was very thankful for the opportunity to make some additional money.
Thus far, two mosquito samples have turned up positive for West Nile in Porterville, at the sports park and the northwest corner of town. The County has not released the information. We reported it to the Health Officer on September 5, 2007.
The Manager reported current conditions are as follows:
Human cases 215 statewide, 124 regionally, and three in Tulare County officially. The Dinuba case is in the northwest corner of town and we recently had a significant mosquito problem north of our border in Consolidated MAD where three sources were completely uncontrolled and that district was in the process of fogging to address the adults coming off. We are satisfied with the level of control in Dinuba right now; continue to look for secondary and tertiary sources from that episode.
The human case in Visalia is at Walnut and Roeben. Don’t know the disposition of the person as they were in South Dakota when diagnosed on August 27th. The County just received the notification.
The human case in the City of Tulare was a death.
Eleven deaths statewide.
Equine cases are 19 statewide (8 died or euthanized), 7 regionally and 2 in Tulare County (Earlimart). Also, 1 horse from just over our border in Consolidated at Kingsburg died.
Dead Birds total 832 statewide, 223 regionally, and 19 in Tulare County (13 Visalia, 5 Tulare, 1 Exeter).
Mosquito Samples total 819 statewide, 298 regionally and 18 in Tulare County (8 Traver, 2 Porterville, 1 Cutler, 6 Visalia, 1 Dinuba.
Chickens stand at 231 statewide, 89 regionally and 1 in Tulare County (Alpaugh).
Squirrels total 11 statewide, 3 regionally and 0 in Tulare County.
The District has submitted 314 adult mosquito samples (41 remain pending) from which 19 have tested positive for WNV. In the last two weeks, we have processed over 15,000 mosquitoes. The lab staff, down one full time biologist is really coming through for us in determining where to concentrate our efforts.
Our West Nile Surveillance score remains in the Emergency Planning stage at 3.375 within the range of 2.6 – 4.0.
The Manager requested that both he and the Assistant Manager, Yolanda Lourenco be authorized to attend the quarterly meeting of the MVCAC. Fresh information from the just completed season will be the main thrust of the meeting as well as committee assignments in which each are committed. It was moved by Belen Gomez, seconded by Bette George and unanimously carried to approve the travel as requested.
The Manager requested travel approval for Sheri Davis, Administrative Technician to attend the forum having to do with processes and procedures to follow in the administration of CalPERS benefits provided by the District. It was moved by Harold Dozier, seconded by Evan Long and unanimously carried to approve the travel as requested.
The meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m.
Board Minutes approved on October 10, 2007.
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Michael W. Alburn, Recording Secretary