The Seneca County General Health District Board of Health reappointed its president and vice president Thursday evening.
Chris Willman is to continue serving as the board's president, and Eric Griffin was selected again to be vice president.
Also at the meeting, the board approved the budget for 2013.
"I tried to be as conservative as I could with the revenues," Anita Gaietto said. "We can only go with what we know is coming in."
The total of all the funds is $2,476,703.21 for the 2013 budget.
Health Commissioner Marjorie Broadhead said the board needs to work toward getting accredited.
"Funding is going to be tied to it; everything is going to be tied to it," Broadhead said. "So we need to jump on board with this, or we're going to be left in the dust."
She said she would like to start the accreditation process in January.
In her report, Broadhead said if Ohioans reduced tobacco use and obesity by 25 percent, the state would save an estimated $4 billion a year.
She said Ohio is second in the nation in obesity-related health care costs, and Ohio ranks 13th in obesity in the U.S., according to a new report by the Trust for America's Health.
"It's a plague," Broadhead said of obesity. "It's a modern day plague."
Ohio residents' state and federal tax burden from smoking-caused government expenditures is $612 per household.
Ohio averages 25.1 percent of adults who smoke, which is above the national average of 18.1 percent, she said.
The Seneca County landfill has not yet been issued a license for 2013, said Laura Wallrabenstein, environmental division director.
The board still is waiting for a letter of approval from the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA's legal departments have no qualms about the landfill being unlicensed temporarily, she said.
The board approved a resolution thanking Nancy Howe for her work as a dietician and WIC director for the board. Howe is retiring effective today.
In other business, the board approved the condemnation of 7751 Washington St., Flat Rock, and 212 E. Crocker St., Fostoria.
The board also approved seven contracts including a lease for the County Services Building with the Seneca County Commissioners. The lease is from Jan. 1, 2013- Dec. 31, 2019. The health board is to pay 20 percent of the $112,550 lease in 2013, and the percentage owed by the board is to increase every year after that.
Broadhead said while she is not happy the board has to pay rent for the building, she is thankful county commissioners were cooperative.
In other buisness, the board:
Approved a contract with Seneca County Youth Center for nursing services.
Approved three contracts with Ohio District 5 Area Agency for care coordination homemaker services, personal care services and health assessment.
Approved a contract with Crawford County General Health District for IAP project services.
Approved a contract with Heidelberg University for water quality sampling services.
