DougCo bids goodbye to Tri-County

Douglas County Commissioners Tuesday voted to leave the Tri- County Health Department after 55 years.

Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution officially notifying Tri- County it’s leaving. Now, the county must appoint a Board of Health within 90 days. Once that board is seated, and has its first meeting, the Douglas County Health Department will be created, said Lance Ingalls, Douglas County attorney. It then must create bylaws and a local health plan.

While the contract requires a year’s notice for any one of the counties to leave, commissioners said the notice they sent Tri- County in July 2020 with its intent to leave provides that. Commissioners didn’t act on that notice until Tri- County implemented another mask order for children

Commissioners want their own health department, saying local control is key

under 18-years-old indoors, including schools.

The heath department also voted last week to remove the “opt-out” provision Douglas County negotiated after the first time it tried to leave when Tri- County issued a county-wide mask order in 2020 while the COVID-19 pandemic was raging.

Douglas County currently pays $2.5 million annually for its approximately 358,000 residents to receive services delivered by 60 programs, including birth certificates, restaurant inspections, immunizations and others, according to Tri- County. It figures out to about $7.10 per resident, according to Jennifer Ludwig, deputy director.

Those services will continue at least through 2021, as Douglas County has already paid for them.

The other two counties in the district are Arapahoe and Adams. Arapahoe pays $4.7 million annually for services, while Adams pays $3.8 million. The Department’s total budget in fiscal year 2021 was $55 million, serving about 1.6 million residents in the three counties.

“It’s very unfortunate how this has all come about,” said Ludwig in an interview before the Douglas County Commissioners’ meeting Tuesday. “Since 1966, we have a phenomenal track record. … A lot of health departments don’t have the ability to attract the diverse and experienced workforce we have. People want to work for such a known entity. To have it come to such an abrupt end is disheartening. And it comes at a very difficult time when were focused on responding to the pandemic we’ve been dealing with for almost two years now.”

But commissioners said local control is of utmost importance to its residents, and it didn’t feel it was getting that – despite the fact three of the department’s nine board members are from Douglas County.

“We’re well within our rights to form our own health department,” said Commission Chairman Abe Laydon.

Several residents spoke before the final vote. The majority spoke in favor of the commissioners’ decision to leave – mostly parents who were upset their children had to wear masks in school and concerned about their mental health.

But several spoke about the inevitable increased costs they saw coming, and the political nature of the decision.

“Speaking as a taxpayer, this has to be the most expensive example of ‘we’re taking our ball and going home’ I’ve ever seen,” said Matt Bateman of Parker. “And all over masks?”

Commissioner George Teal disputed the move could end up costing taxpayers more money.

He said the county would be able to apply for state and federal grants currently given to Tri- County, and that Douglas County government works more efficiently.

“We might be able to save some money right off the bat,” Teal said. “Tri- County has 23 people on payroll for a $55 million budget. Douglas County has a $350 million budget and nine people in our accounting department.”

“We all want to protect our kids and families,” Laydon said. “I’ve heard this is not the time to part ways. But after 18 months, one theme is clear: Douglas County residents want local control over public health decisions.”

The decision has already cost Douglas County taxpayer money, but it’s unclear how much. Commissioners have hired Health Management Association to do a community health assessment, said Barbara Drake, deputy county manager. It also hired the Colorado Health Institute and Tom Butt’s Colorado Environmental Health Association.

Drake did not say how much those contracts were worth, and a Douglas County spokesperson has not provided that information after being asked by a reporter for it Friday.

Those consultant companies reports should be finished and delivered to commissioners by October or November, Drake said.

She also said a public health advisory committee has been working on the issue since April.

Tri- County, Adams and Arapahoe have also hired consultants Otowi Group to map out what the department will look like without Douglas County.

“Working in collaboration with our partners in Arapahoe County, we have hired a consulting firm to help identify options for our Board of County Commissioners to evaluate as they consider next steps related to public health. We expect their findings to be presented to both boards in October,” said Jim Siedlecki, deputy Adams County manager.

“(Tri- County Health Department) has been working with Adams and Arapahoe counties over the past several months to develop a potential transition plan that ensures the provision of core and preferred public health services across both jurisdictions,” said Luc Hatlestad, spokesman, Arapahoe County.

“By October 2021, the county commissioners will be provided the findings to inform a decision on the structure and governance by which to provide public health services. After that organizational structure decision is made, the transition plan will be created.”

It’s ultimately going to be more expensive for all three.

“Because we’re running with three counties, we’ve been sharing costs that a single public health district would have to pay,” said Ludwig. “We’ve shared the cost of things like a single data team, so there’s a scale of economy there. Splitting costs between three counties is a huge savings to the county, and ultimately to taxpayers.”