At Jefferson County Health Department our mission is to “champion positive health outcomes and behaviors through innovative programs and community engagement.” Our priority is the health and well-being of Jefferson County residents.
On behalf of Jefferson County Health Department, I want to extend my sincerest apologies for the confusion and stress surrounding our ordinance late last week. We never want the public to feel misled about the process used when preparing public health orders.
After viewing the comments, messages, and emails we have received, we recognize that there is confusion around the issue, and we want clear it up. When voting on a county wide ordinance, specific processes and procedures need to take place. Rather than move forward with an ordinance without public review, our board decided to meet Friday and revoke the ordinance. This allows the community time to review it.
“I don’t believe we made a mistake on the agenda for Sunshine, but we would rather have residents comfortable that we are being transparent and open, so we recalled the document,” states Jefferson County Health Department Director, Kelley Vollmar.
We recognize that we have lost some of your trust throughout the process. In these challenging times, we have, and will continue, to strive for transparency in communication with the public we serve. We have attached the agendas, new draft ordinance language, and the emails from last week.
We stand behind our recommendation for wearing masks per CDC guidelines; however, we understand that not everyone may see it as helpful. We encourage feedback from the public and thank those that have reached out to express their opinions. This is how we grow as an agency, as a county.
Moving forward, we continue to strongly encourage the use of preventative measures in the county. We will work with businesses, food establishments, schools, and other community locations to push the “Protect Public Health” message. We will continue to provide accurate and timely information, education, and data so county residents are educated and empowered to make the best health decisions for their families.
We will continue to prevent illness, promote health and wellness, and protect public health. We are proud to be public health.