[Amended 11-1-2022 by L.L. No. 5-2022[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This local law also changed from "Department of Health" to "Department of Whole Health."
The County of Tompkins shall be a County Health District. There shall be a Department of Whole Health headed by a Commissioner of Whole Health, who shall be appointed by the County Administrator, following consultation with the Board of Health, subject to confirmation by the Board of Health, Community Mental Health Services Board, Tompkins County Legislature, and the New York State Commissioners of Health, Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use. The Commissioner of Whole Health shall be directly responsible to the Board of Health for the implementation and enforcement of the County Sanitary Code and other public health programs, to the Community Mental Health Services Board for the implementation of policies established by the Legislature as provided in § C-9.08 of this Charter, and directly responsible to the County Administrator for the implementation of financial, personnel, and administrative policies established by the Tompkins County Legislature that are not directly affecting the public's health within the County. The term of office shall be six years. The Commissioner of Whole Health shall meet qualifications as prescribed by Public Health Law, Mental Hygiene Law and the local Civil Service office.
The Commissioner of Whole Health shall have all the powers and duties as outlined in § C-9.01 and § C-9.07 of this Charter. Should the Commissioner of Whole Health not meet the requirements of Public Health Law for the Public Health Director or Mental Hygiene Law for the Director of Community Services, they shall appoint a Deputy that meets the legal requirements and receives the approvals as outlined above.
The Commissioner of Whole Health shall have all the powers and perform all the duties now or hereafter conferred or imposed by law or code upon a County Public Health Director, together with such other and related duties as may be required by the Tompkins County Legislature or the Board of Health as provided in § C-9.04 of this article. The powers and duties of the Commissioner of Whole Health shall be to:
(a) 
Appoint such deputies, assistants, and employees of the Department as shall be authorized by the Tompkins County Legislature;
(b) 
Plan, organize, and direct local public health programs, including the identification, influence, and treatment of disease and disease trends throughout the County;
(c) 
Direct the operation of environmental health programs to promote and protect the public health through supervision and regulation of public eating places, swimming and camping facilities, drinking water supplies and sewage systems, rabies control, indoor air quality, youth tobacco control, exposure to chemicals, and other activities as warranted;
(d) 
Collect any fees established by the Tompkins County Legislature and the Board of Health for public health work and remit same to the Department of Finance;
(e) 
Develop or adapt public health materials and campaigns to increase public awareness of disease, promote healthy behaviors, and reduce risk factors to prevent the spread of disease; partner with public and private community groups throughout the County and regionally in the planning of community health programs;
(f) 
Serve as or designate the Vital Statistics Registrar who collects and records information relating to births, deaths, and other statistics necessary or appropriate to the maintenance of a responsive health program throughout the County;
(g) 
Implement policies established by the Tompkins County Legislature and/or the Board of Health as provided in § C-9.04 of this Charter;
(h) 
Serve as or designate the County Early Intervention Official to coordinate the identification, tracking, and screening of children at risk of developmental delay;
(i) 
Coordinate public-health-related emergency preparedness and response.
There shall be a Medical Director who shall be appointed by the Commissioner of Whole Health, after consultation with the Board of Health. The Medical Director shall be directly responsible to the Commissioner of Whole Health and shall exercise general supervision and control, in concert with the Commissioner of Whole Health, of all medical aspects of the Department's operations, including the medical treatment of patients in public health clinics operated by the Health District. At the time of appointment and throughout the term of office, the Medical Director shall be and remain duly licensed and entitled to practice medicine in the State of New York and shall have such other qualifications as may be required by law, the local Civil Service office, and the Tompkins County Legislature.
There shall be a Medical Examiner(s) appointed by the Commissioner of Whole Health after consultation with the Board of Health. The Medical Examiner(s) shall be directly responsible to the Commissioner of Whole Health for the implementation of policies established by the Tompkins County Legislature. At the time of appointment and throughout the term of office, the Medical Examiner(s) shall be and remain duly licensed to practice medicine in the State of New York. The Medical Examiner(s) shall have all the powers and perform all the duties now or hereafter conferred or imposed by law upon a medical examiner and shall perform such other and related duties as may be required by the Tompkins County Legislature.
There shall be a County Board of Health, the members of which shall be appointed by the Tompkins County Legislature. The County Board of Health shall consist of seven members, one of whom shall be a member of the. Tompkins County Legislature, and at least three of whom shall be physicians licensed to practice in the State of New York. In addition thereto, each city that becomes a part of the County Health District shall be entitled to one additional representative member of the Board of Health. The term of office of each member of the County Board of Health shall be six years, and the term of one of the members shall expire annually, except that the term of office of the representative member of the Tompkins County Legislature shall be for such lesser period as may be required in the event that this member does not continue as a member of the Tompkins County Legislature.
The Board of Health shall have the authority to draft bylaws for approval by the Tompkins County Legislature, elect officers from its membership, and establish committees. Updated copies of bylaws must be kept on file in the office of the Clerk of the Tompkins County Legislature.
The Board of Health shall have the following powers and duties:
(a) 
Formulate, promulgate, adopt, amend or repeal, and publish rules, regulations, orders, and directives for the security of life and health in the Health District that shall not be inconsistent with the Public Health Law or the State Sanitary Code. Such rules, regulations, orders, and directives shall be known as the "County Sanitary Code";
(b) 
Take appropriate action to preserve and improve public health within the County;
(c) 
Consider any matters that may come to its attention relating to the preservation and improvement of public health within the County and advise the Public Health Director thereon, either at the Public Health Director's request or upon its own initiative, and from time to time make recommendations to the Public Health Director thereon;
(d) 
Serve as the governing authority for the Tompkins County Licensed Home Care Services Agency pursuant to the Codes, Rules, and Regulations of the State of New York; be responsible for the establishment of standards of the agency service and care and the approval of standard clinical regimens; and select and appoint a qualified Agency Administrator and delegate to the administrator executive authority and responsibility for the operation of the agency, including the employment of the professional staff;
(e) 
Organize and maintain, or contract for, public health clinics in Tompkins County;
(f) 
Review and make recommendations on the budget of the Department of Whole Health;
(g) 
Operate within the financial, personnel, and administrative County policies as established by the Tompkins County Legislature;
(h) 
With the approval of the Tompkins County Legislature (and the State Commissioner of Health, where required by law), establish fees for the services provided by the Department of Whole Health. Both the Board of Health and the Tompkins County Legislature must mutually agree on the fees. If a disagreement occurs, the fee schedule shall return to the Board of Health for review and recommendation back to the Tompkins County Legislature.
(a) 
The affirmative vote of a majority of the total membership of the Board of Health shall be required to pass any rule, regulation, order, or directive that constitutes the adoption of, or an amendment or addition to, or to repeal a portion of the County Sanitary Code. On the final passage, the question shall be taken by ayes and noes, and the names of the members present and their votes shall be entered in the minutes of proceedings.
(b) 
Every rule, regulation, order, or directive that constitutes an amendment or addition to or removal from the County Sanitary Code shall be mailed or delivered in final form to each member at least 10 calendar days, exclusive of Sunday, prior to its final passage.
(c) 
The Board of Health shall hold a public hearing on every rule, regulation, order, or directive that constitutes the adoption of, or an amendment or addition to, or removal from the County Sanitary Code, prior to its final passage. Such public hearing shall be on at least five days' notice, published in the official daily newspaper(s) in the County.
(d) 
The Board of Health shall cause to be published annually a supplement to the County Sanitary Code that shall indicate all additions to, repeals, and amendments of any section of said Code.
(e) 
The Commissioner of Whole Health shall cause to be furnished certified copies of the County Sanitary Code and its amendments for such fees as may be authorized by law.
The provisions of the County Sanitary Code shall have all the force and effect of law. Penalties for violation of or nonconformance with any provision of such County Sanitary Code, or of any rule, regulation, order, or directive made thereunder, shall be in accordance with provisions of the Public Health Law of the State of New York. Certified copies of the County Sanitary Code shall be received in evidence in all courts and proceedings in the state.
The term "Commissioner of Whole Health" as used in this Charter shall have the same meaning as the term "Director of Community Services" as defined in the Mental Hygiene Law. The Commissioner of Whole Health shall have the power to appoint such Deputy Commissioners of Mental Health Services, Medical Directors, assistants, and employees of the Department as shall be authorized by the Tompkins County Legislature. Such persons shall meet the qualifications fixed by the Mental Hygiene Law and the State Department of Mental Hygiene. All Deputy Commissioners of Mental Health Services, assistants, and employees of the Department shall be directly responsible to the Commissioner. The Commissioner of Whole Health shall have all the powers and perform all the duties now or hereafter conferred or imposed by law upon a Director of Community Mental Health Services. The Commissioner serves as chief executive officer of the Local Government Unit and Community Mental Health Center as defined in Mental Hygiene Law. In addition, the Commissioner shall:
(a) 
Plan for the development and maintenance of programs for the prevention, rehabilitation, and treatment of mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance use disorders within the County pursuant to administrative orders of funding authorities having the effect of law;
(b) 
Initiate, investigate, and process for consideration and approval by the Community Mental Health Services Board, and approval by the Tompkins County Legislature where applicable or required, contracts for service to be rendered by other units of government or private organizations, and contracts for services by the Department or other jurisdictions and, when such contracts are approved, monitor compliance therewith and report back to the Community Mental Health Services Board;
(c) 
Make recommendations to the Community Mental Health Services Board on the availability and suitability of sources of funding for mental health facilities or services;
(d) 
With the approval of the Community Mental Health Services Board, the Tompkins County Legislature, and the appropriate State Commissioner, establish and collect fees from a patient or a person or private or public agency responsible for his/her care for services rendered to such patient. Fees so collected shall be paid to the chief fiscal officer of the County at such times and in such manner as shall be required by said fiscal officer;
(e) 
Provide the Community Mental Health Services Board with such staff services as it may require in the performance of its duties within appropriations therefor;
(f) 
Perform such other and related duties as may be required by the Tompkins County Legislature and/or the Community Mental Health Services Board as provided in § C-9.08 of this Charter.
There shall be a Community Mental Health Services Board, consisting of 15 members appointed by the Tompkins County Legislature for four-year terms. Members may serve any number of consecutive terms. Whenever practicable, at least one member shall be a licensed physician and one member shall be a certified psychologist; if a psychologist is not available then at least two members shall be licensed physicians, such members to have demonstrated an interest in the field of services for those with mental health conditions (also known as mentally disabled within the meaning of New York State Mental Hygiene Law). The other members shall represent the community interest in all the problems of those with mental health conditions (also known as mentally disabled within the meaning of New York State Mental Hygiene Law) and shall include representatives from community agencies for the mentally ill, the developmentally disabled, and those suffering from substance use disorders. The Mental Health Services Board shall have such subcommittees as defined in Mental Hygiene Law.
The Community Mental Health Services Board shall have the authority to draft bylaws for approval by the Tompkins County Legislature, elect officers from its membership, and establish committees. Updated copies of bylaws must be kept on file in the office of the Clerk of the Tompkins County Legislature. The Board shall meet regularly, at least quarterly, at the call of its chairperson.
The Community Mental Health Services Board shall have the following powers and duties:
(a) 
Review services and local facilities for those with mental health conditions (also known as mentally disabled within the meaning of New York State Mental Hygiene Law) of the area that it serves and their relationship to local need;
(b) 
Determine needs of those with mental health conditions (also known as mentally disabled within the meaning of New York State Mental Hygiene Law) of such area;
(c) 
Encourage programs of prevention, diagnosis, care, treatment, social and vocational rehabilitation, special education and training, consultation, and public education on those with mental health conditions (also known as mentally disabled within the meaning of New York State Mental Hygiene Law);
(d) 
Develop the program of local services for the area it serves, establish long-range goals of the local government in its programs for those with mental health conditions (also known as mentally disabled within the meaning of New York State Mental Hygiene Law), and develop intermediate-range plans and forecasts, listing priorities and estimated costs;
(e) 
Direct and administer the development of local comprehensive plans for mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance use disorders for those residents of the area with mental health conditions (also known as mentally disabled within the meaning of New York State Mental Hygiene Law). Copies of this plan shall be transmitted to the Tompkins County Legislature and the County Administrator or as required by the New York State Department of Mental Hygiene regulations;
(f) 
Seek to assure that the needs of all population groups in the areas of mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance use disorders are adequately met, sufficient services are available for all those residents of the area with mental health conditions (also known as mentally disabled within the meaning of New York State Mental Hygiene Law) within its purview, that there is coordination and cooperation among local providers of services, that the local program is also integrated and coordinated with the programs of the State Department of Mental Hygiene, and that there is continuity of care among all providers of services;
(g) 
Have the power, with the approval of the Tompkins County Legislature where applicable and required, to enter into contracts for the provision of services;
(h) 
Submit annually to the State Department of Mental Hygiene for its approval and subsequent state aid, a report of long-range goals and specific intermediate-range plans as modified since the preceding report, along with a local-services plan (also called "unified services plan") for the next local fiscal year;
(i) 
Establish procedures for execution of the local-services plan;
(j) 
Make policy for and exercise general supervisory authority over or administer local services and facilities provided or supervised by it, whether directly or through agreements;
(k) 
Monitor the effectiveness of the services provided by other facilities of local government and by voluntary and private facilities which have been incorporated into its comprehensive program;
(l) 
Further programs for special education and training;
(m) 
Have the power to conduct or contract for such research as may be useful in discharging its administrative duties and for the promotion of scientific knowledge about those with mental health conditions (also known as mentally disabled within the meaning of New York State Mental Hygiene Law);
(n) 
Serve as a center for the promotion of community and public understanding of those with mental health conditions (also known as mentally disabled within the meaning of New York State Mental Hygiene Law) and of the services necessary for their care and treatment;
(o) 
Seek the cooperation of, and cooperate with, other public health and social services agencies, public and private, in advancing the program of local or unified services;
(p) 
Review and make recommendations on the budget of the Department of Mental Health Services to the Tompkins County Legislature and the Department;
(q) 
Operate within the financial, personnel, and administrative County policies as established by the Tompkins County Legislature.