The San Juan County Health and Community Services Department budget took a bigger percentage of dollar budget cuts than any other department. Its overall 2009 budget is $189,211 smaller than its 2008 budget – a 14 percent reduction.

“Health and Community Services has the largest budget not financed out of a dedicated fund,” said County Administrator Pete Rose. “And because it shares much of its funding with general county services, when there have to be cutbacks it is vulnerable to taking a bigger hit than core and mandated services.”

The Department runs dozens of programs. The Community Services budget was cut by 22 percent, about $83,000 less than its budget request. Department Director John Manning said the lower funding level forces reductions in a number of programs.

Senior centers on San Juan, Lopez and Orcas will be open four days per week, rather than five as they are now; The Senior Transportation program will be limited to “on island” and high priority “off-island” trips only.

Funding for substance abuse services from current expense funds has been eliminated, so other sources must be found to match grants for providing help to people with drug and alcohol addictions.

The department’s Personal Health Services division is reduced by 13 percent, $45,000 below its 2008 budget. The 2009 budget eliminates 28 hours per week of Public Health Nurse services and will limit clinic hours. Reductions in this area will most affect seniors, young mothers, infants, and travelers. The Personal Health Services plan for 2009:

Reduces clinic hours by one day a month on Lopez Island and two days per month on Orcas;

Eliminates annual well child clinics on the three main islands;

Limits special flu clinics and blood pressure checks at senior centers;

Eliminates travel immunizations;

Reduces visits for women, infants and children’s clinics; and

Reduces nurse follow-up on certain communicable diseases.

The Environmental Health Section, whose mission is to prevent disease and protect the public from unhealthy exposure to environmental risks, also has a budget that is 13 percent lower in 2009 than in 2008. A 20-hour per week environmental health technician position has been eliminated and hours for other employees have been reduced to the equivalent of another employee working 28 hours per week. Among the direct impacts of these cuts:

Technical assistance to well owners will be reduced, as will water resource planning efforts;

The derelict vessel program will be suspended;

The number of food handler classes will be reduced from 25 to 12 per year;

Two-party water systems will be removed from the Group B drinking water program reducing oversight of safe drinking water;

Inspections of well sites, water and septic systems on non-ferry served islands will be eliminated;

Follow-up response to complaints will be delayed; and permit review time will increase from less than 10 days to 15 or more days.

“These are very, very difficult cuts to make,” said Manning. “They directly affect the public health and safety and the welfare of the most vulnerable members of our community. We are working hard to find grants and alternative sources of funding, but the reality is: these cuts are going to hurt.”