Return of Christopher Dacanay — Terry Bell, second from left, stands with fellow members of the Jefferson County Board of Health and the health commissioner of the Jefferson County General Health District after being re-elected as health commissioner by the District Advisory Board on Thursday. Ta. From left: Board Vice President Suzanne Brown, Mr. Bell, Health Commissioner Andrew Henry, and Board Chair Anthony Mougianis.
STEUBENVILLE — Former Salem Township Trustee Terry Bell will serve a second five-year term on the Jefferson County Board of Health after being re-elected to the position by the District Advisory Board on Thursday. .
“I am very grateful that the residents of the village and town voted me back to serve on the Board of Health for a five-year term.” Bell said after the election. “I feel deep down that I have more to give and more to do.”
Of the 26 voters in attendance, 16 voted for Mr. Bell, nine for the Rev. Nate Freeman, pastor of First Church of Christ in Steubenville, and one for the Rev. Nate Freeman, executive director of Southern Care Hospice in Wintersville. I voted for a certain Tasha Lipps.
This follows two separate tie elections for board seats by the DAC, which is comprised of the county commission chair, the mayor of each city and village, and the chair of each township board of trustees. This was the second attempt at selection. .
Of the 33 total members of Congress represented Thursday, 26 included Jefferson County commissioners. the cities of Steubenville and Toronto; The villages of Amsterdam, Bergholz, Empire, Irondale, Mingo Junction, Leyland, Richmond, Stratton, Wintersville, and Yorkville. Brush Creek, Cross Creek, Island Creek, Knox, Mount Pleasant, Ross, Salem, Saline, Springfield, Steubenville, Warren, Wayne, and Wells townships.
On Thursday, a quorum for the DAC was reached for the first time in 27 years, with the first quorum following the previous Friday. The 20 voters present last Friday were unable to select a candidate, with two ties between Mr. Bell and Mr. Freeman, resulting in the vote being put on hold until next week's reconvening.
Resuming from the starting point, the DAC was presented with a total of seven candidates for the seat on Thursday. Freeman. Lips. Aaron Dickey, Clinical Program Management Advisor, Evernorth Behavioral Health Inc.; Rev. Buena Smith Dudley, pastor of Quinn Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church. Shannon Monroe, doctoral candidate at New York University's Institute for the Ancient World. Vanessa Palmer, Founder of the Diversity Health Initiative;
After the DAC nominated all seven candidates eligible to vote in the election, it heard brief presentations from Mr. Bell and Mr. Freeman, the only candidates present at the meeting. City councilors then voted and awarded the seat to Bell by a seven-point margin.
Bell himself was born and raised in Steubenville. Bell and his wife Andrea, who married in 1970, moved to land near Jefferson Lake State Park where they raised their family and cattle.
He ran for and was elected Salem township trustee and served in that position for nearly twelve years. In his capacity, Bell focused on reducing trash along the town's roads. “It completely ignores the environment we all want to live in.”
Mr Bell said he had been committed to the environment throughout his life and regularly worked on environmental issues as chair of the health board's environment committee. He added that the Jefferson County General Health District: “lucky” Assign environmental staff to carry out “Exemplary work”
Bell was also a board member of the Jefferson County Township Association, serving in various board roles and as a member of the executive committee. Jefferson County Oil and Gas Commission; Jefferson County Regional Planning Commission; Jefferson-Belmont Solid Waste Authority. He served on the Ohio Association of Townships' nominating committee.
Mr. Bell, along with the Jefferson County engineer and prosecutor, was instrumental in developing road maintenance agreements that commit private energy companies to repair county and township roads used for business. A signed RUMA is required to receive a drilling permit from the Ohio Department of Transportation, Bell said.
During Thursday's presentation to the DAC, Bell told township trustees in the northern part of the county that there is a drilling company based in Morgantown, West Virginia, that passes through Columbiana and Carroll counties. Or, he warned, it would become a new drilling company. He said the company is aware of RUMA and plans to sign it.
Bell then asked for a vote from City Council members to continue the work of the past five years.
“When I was little, my parents taught me: 'Whatever you do in life, do it to the best of your ability and always do it with kindness.' Bell later added: “Dear board members, you've known me for so long that you know how dedicated I am. I'm going all in.”
Separately, Health Commissioner Andrew Henry updated the DAC on the health department's accreditation status through the Public Health Accreditation Commission.
Henry said the Ohio Department of Health has been required to seek PHAB accreditation since 2012, and the department continues to pursue that status. Most health departments in the state are accredited, but 25 percent, including Jefferson, are still in the process of accreditation.
However, Henry said Jefferson County's application to PHAB has been submitted and the department must submit all necessary documentation by February. Once they are submitted, the department undergoes an on-site review and is informed of its status.
“Some of you may be wondering what this holdup was, but all I can talk about is what happened after 2021.” Henry said. “It took us a while to get up to speed. Before we could apply, we had to complete a community health assessment and a community health improvement plan. So in my time, we've been working on that for the last few years. I have now submitted my application.”
