The Health First Kosciusko Advisory Committee discussed using some monies to hire a tattoo shop inspector for the county.
At its meeting on Wednesday, Committee Chair Dr. Dennis Woodward brought up the issue, noting the committee had discussed it in the past.
Committee member Rich Haddad said he believed tattoo shops "warrant inspection and require staffing (at the county level) to do it."
Kosciusko County Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver said he thought Bill Baxter, who's already worked for the department, would be well-suited as inspector. Whoever would be hired would work for the health department.
Both Health First Kosciusko Coordinator Kurt Carlson and Committee member Sue Ann Mitchell noted they had heard medical professionals talk about patients they had seen in emergency rooms who'd come in after getting tattooed or pierced.
Weaver said if the measure for an inspector were ultimately approved, he'd need a county ordinance approved by the commissioners on the matter.
He explained after the meeting that Indiana law requires tattoo shops to be licensed, but doesn't mandate county health departments to inspect them. Weaver said without a county ordinance, his office can respond to complaints if they occur, but not do regular inspections.
No final decisions were made on the matter Wednesday.
In other business, the committee:
• Agreed to see if a part-time employee could be hired to help Health First administrative assistant Liz McCullough as she's had much overtime doing paperwork.
• Approved giving the Grace College Center for Literacy and Learning $80,000 for an initiative, which works to tutor kids as well as improve their physical health.
• Approved giving the Tippecanoe Valley School Corp. $65,700 for a mental health therapist; Lakeland Christian Academy $15,300 for items including food for students in need and emergency medications; Warsaw Community Schools $250,000 for its Welcome Center, which helps new students with health screenings and immunizations; Wawasee Community School Corp. $99,000 for items including hygiene products for students and its hydroponics gardening program; and $13,000 for Pierceton Elementary School for items including hygiene products and food for students in need.
• Agreed to seek a replacement for committee member Terry Owens, who opted to step down. The committee also agreed to ask the Kosciusko County Council if they would appoint a member to serve on the committee to replace Mitchell. Mitchell is now the commissioners' representative on the committee, replacing Cary Groninger.
All the funding requests approved by the committee must also be approved by the Kosciusko County Board of Health and Kosciusko County Commissioners before they can be implemented.
The committee's next meeting is 6 p.m. Feb. 26 in the Kosciusko County Courthouse's Old Courtroom.