Feb 16 Regular Monthly Meeting: January 18th, 2024
SUMMARY MINUTES
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
County Commissioner Chambers/ Zoom
January 18, 2024 @ 4:00 PM
TRUSTEES: Kerry Bartlett Barb Bodnar (via Zoom)
Marybeth Cunningham Paul Westcott
Michael Kint William Cooney, M.D.
ABSENT: Karen Deigl
STAFF: Kate Voss Jennifer Peshke, Esq.
Frank Isele Dawn Carboni
ZOOM: Megan McFall Marie Andress William Wims Ann Marie McCrystal
Lisa Zahner Pat Knipper
ATTENDEES: Cecelia Stalnaker Wayne Creelman Heather Roberts Angela Guzenski
Philip Cromer Matt Reiser
Convene Meeting, Invocation & Pledge– Marybeth Cunningham, Chair
Ms. Cunningham convened the regular monthly meeting of the IRCHD at 4:00 PM. Pastor Joe Moore, Rivers of Living Water Rhema Word Ministries provided the invocation and Ms. Bartlett led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Organizational Matters – Jennifer Peshke, Esq.
Ms. Peshke stated that at the beginning of each year, the Bylaws require the District to reorganize and elect five officers. Any board member may make a nomination for the five offices, which include Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, and Assistant Secretary. Each office will be elected by calling for a nomination, and a second. She asked that a nomination for Chairman, begin the process.
Mr. Kint nominated Ms. Cunningham as Chairman, which was seconded by Mr. Westcott. The motion carried unanimously.
Dr. Cooney nominated himself as Vice Chairman. Ms. Peshke stated that any Trustee is able to self-nominate for a position on the board. She asked for a second to the nomination, which was made by Ms. Cunningham. The motion carried unanimously.
Mr. Kint nominated Ms. Bodnar as Secretary, which was seconded by Dr. Cooney. The motion carried unanimously.
Mr. Westcott nominated Ms. Bartlett as Assistant Secretary, which was seconded by Dr. Cooney. The motion carried unanimously.
Ms. Cunningham nominated Mr. Kint as Treasurer, which was seconded by Mr. Westcott. The motion carried unanimously.
Next, she asked the Trustees to confirm their meeting schedule for the upcoming year. After discussion they agreed to hold their regular monthly meeting the third Thursday of each month at 4:00 PM, at the County Commissioners Chambers, and a Chairman’s meeting on Wednesday before at 10:00 AM. All Chairman’s meetings will be held at the District offices in the conference room. Dr. Cooney stated that the regular monthly meeting minutes are signed by the secretary. If the secretary is not present at the meeting, should there be another person signing the minutes. It was decided that if the secretary is not present at the meeting, the assistant secretary would sign the minutes, in their absence.
Ms. Cunningham then asked for a motion to approve the chairman’s meeting minutes dated December 20, regular monthly meeting minutes dated December 21 and a January disbursement of $1,286,480.93. Dr. Cooney made the motion which was seconded by Mr. Kint. The motion carried unanimously.
Chairmans Report- Marybeth Cunningham, Chair
Ms. Cunningham thanked her fellow Trustees for the nomination to serve as their Chairwoman. She stated that she looks forward to the coming year and the work the Trustees will embark upon.
District Counsel Report- Jennifer Peshke, Esq.
Ms. Peshke provided her report and stated that she continues to monitor the deadlines and deliverables due to the District subject to the lease with CCIRH. She is also working towards closing the purchase and sales agreement with the VNA for the Hospice House parcel, which should be completed by the end of March. Discussions continue with VCOM concerning the HSB and their intentions to lease the property. She clarified that a draft lease agreement has not been sent to VCOM and their legal counsel, as they were waiting for some additional benchmarks to be included in the agreement. She further stated that Mr. Isele plans to work with CCIRH to develop a memorandum of understanding to confirm their cooperation with this partnership. Next, she discussed pending HB 7013 and its effects on special Districts, specifically the language in the bill requiring voters to reauthorize independent special districts that levy ad valorem taxes every 10 years. She stated that her offices, as well as District staff will continue to track the bill, and provide updates when appropriate. Additionally, she is still waiting for further information from FASD, concerning the mandatory ethics training for elected officials. Lastly, she stated that her office prepared a letter of intent regarding the property owned by Childrens Home Society of Florida, for the potential site of a women’s sober living facility. After further Trustee discussion at yesterday’s Chairmans meeting, she was instructed to order an appraisal report for the property so the Trustee will have a better understanding of the actual value of the property, before entering into further negotiations.
Financial Statement Review- Michael Kint, Treasurer
Mr. Kint stated that the 1st quarter is complete, and District continues to remain in excellent financial condition. For the month of December, the District received 81% of its anticipated tax revenues. Overall program expenses were under budget by $139,836 for the month and $532,847 year-to-date. Additionally, administrative expenses were under budget by $3,640 for the month and over budget by $18,248 year-to-date. Next, he discussed the Districts investment statement and stated that Mr. Isele prepared a well put together summary of all the Districts investment accounts, and provided the handout to the Trustees. Mr. Kint explained that their goal is to have 95% of the Districts revenues invested, to maximize the amount of interest earning potential. There was also discussion concerning the projected interest earned on the accounts and the historical background surrounding the initial TBills purchased in 2022. It was explained that the interest earned from those bills has allowed the District to operate during the period of the year when tax revenues are no longer being received. Mr. Isele further explained that the budgeted amount of interest in the current fiscal year is $285,000, however in the first quarter alone, the District received approximately $300,000 in interest income. There was also discussion concerning the minimum amount of days cash on hand the District should maintain. Mr. Kint stated that during today’s Finance and Audit committee meeting, the group discussed this matter and language outlining this policy will be included in the finance and audit manual being developed. There was also discussion concerning the amount of reserves the District should maintain and what those funds are to be allocated towards, or should they be returned to the tax payer. Lastly, Mr. Kint stated that also at the Finance and Audit committee meeting, the group completed their second review of the finance and audit manual and there was productive discussion and updates made to the document. Moving forward, the document will next be reviewed by the District’s Auditor Kip Jacoby and then Ms. Peshke. A final draft will then be presented to the Trustees for their review and consideration.
Executive Director Report- Frank Isele, Executive Director
Mr. Isele provided his report and discussed the various items he has been working on. He stated that the UF clinic has officially closed, and the patient transition has gone smoothly. Next, he stated that the impact campaign concerning the District is underway and the staff is working finalizing of the annual report which will be produced digitally and be available on the District’s new website. He further stated that the District is on track to receive the draft report of the Performance Review at the end of January. He then informed the board the he has engaged the services of HR Dynamics, to conduct a review of the District HR policies and procedures. This will ensure that the District is up to date and in compliance with the latest best practices. Lastly, he stated that he and Ms. Frederick convened a meeting on January 8th to discuss supporting a 24/7 mobile response team for Indian River County. Several community stakeholders with expertise in mobile response, mental/behavioral health, and law enforcement were present. There was Trustee discussion, and it was questioned whether New Horizons would be able to fully support this initiative and if there were alternative agencies in or out outside of Indian River County, who could also assist. Mr. Isele stated that there are still many areas to work through, but the group is committed to this process, and will explore all potential avenues.
Funded Agency Semi Annual Report
Mental Health Association- Philip Cromer, CEO. & Angela Guzenski, COO
Dr. Cromer addressed the board and thanked them for their support. He stated that they continue to see an increase in the demand for behavioral health services and a rise in the severity and acuity of problems across all age demographics. He discussed data concerning mental health and stated that FL ranks number one in the prevalence of mental health illness, but 45th in access to mental health services. He discussed the various factors which attributed to the increase and stated that with this increase, the MHA is looking to expand, and they have recently acquired the old UF clinic space. He discussed their plans for the space which include additional administrative offices, and the creation of a parent and children center. Additionally, they are hiring more clinicians including a nurse practitioner psychiatrist and therapists. They also plan to work collaboratively with Tykes & Teens, and Suncoast Mental Health, and offer them additional clinic space. He further reviewed the timeline for the opening of the center and stated that they will be in the space by the end of January and have a soft opening towards the end of February. There was Trustee discussion, and it was questioned what the drivers are behind this mental health crisis and is there a way to collect data points to better understand the trends. Dr. Cromer stated that they are currently collecting and tracking data points and he would be happy to share this data with the Trustees in report or future presentation. There was also Trustee discussion concerning the low walk-in center rates reported for the first quarter of the fiscal year and they asked for an explanation regarding this decrease. Ms. Guzenski addressed the board and stated that this time of year is historically lower in volume due to the holiday season and school starting. Additionally, they transitioned to a new records system and experienced some issues with the transition of data. Further while walk in center rates were lower, they did see an increase in overall therapy services for the time period. Dr. Cromer finished his report by stating that he would like the opportunity to address the board in the coming months to further discuss the progress of the parent and children center, and also possible funding opportunities for the District to support the same.
Public Comment/Adjourn
There was no further business and Ms. Cunningham asked if there was public comment. There was no and the meeting was adjourned at 5:20 PM
Respectfully Submitted,
Barbara Bodnar, Secretary