Date: April 3, 2001
To: Board of Supervisors
Subject: Border Public Health Facility
Summary:
On September 29, 1998 (28), the Board of Supervisors approved Supervisor Cox's recommendations to convene a joint meeting of the San Diego and Imperial County Boards of Supervisors for the purpose of discussing relevant issues affecting our border region and develop a standard format for tracking the costs associated with being a border county.
On February 23, 1999 (24), the Board of Supervisors approved Supervisors Cox and Jacob's recommendations to designate a Board Subcommittee of Supervisors Cox and Jacob to serve as the liaison with members of the U.S./Mexico Border Counties Coalition and formally approve San Diego's participation as a member of the U.S./Mexico Border Counties Coalition.
On November 16, 1999 (32), the Board of Supervisors approved Supervisors Cox and Roberts' recommendations to take several steps to assist County residents who sustain critical injuries in Mexico.
On February 13, 2001 (6), the Board of Supervisors approved Supervisors Cox and Jacob's recommendations to receive the Border Impact Study: The Costs for Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice and Emergency Medical Services and request reimbursement from the federal government for the costs identified in th is study.
Today's recommended actions include receiving the proposed Border Public Health Facility as well as approval to seek federal support and funding for this effort.
On June 16, 1998 (1), the Board of Supervisors approved Supervisor Cox's recommendations to partner with border counties in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas to create the Border Counties Coalition.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Supervisors Dianne Jacob and Greg Cox
1. Receive the report Border Public Health Facility (Attachment A).
2. Direct the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to draft a letter for the Chairman's signature to the San Diego delegation communicating support for the creation of a federally funded Border Public Health Facility at the San Ysidro-Tijuana International Port of Entry.
3. Direct the CAO and the County's Washington D.C. representative to communicate the County of San Diego's support for this proposal and pursue federal funding for a facility.
4. Direct the CAO to return to the Board of Supervisors in 180 days with a progress report.
Fiscal Impact:
There are no fiscal impacts associated with these recommendations.
Background:
San Diegans have long suspected that we live with both a tremendous opportunity and a unique challenge due to our proximity to the international border with Mexico. The San Diego region is one region and one community but also two nations. For this reason, the federal government has a greater responsibility to provide the appropriate resources required by border counties to mitigate the impact of expenses generated by our proximity to an international border.
Because of the unique circumstances and the need for federal resources, a proposal has been developed for a federally funded Border Public Health Facility located at the San Ysidro-Tijuana international border crossing. Such a facility would require federal authorization and funding as well as strong support from state and local officials and the community. The purpose of this facility would be to protect against diseases, assist with certain health problems, make referrals to resources, and train health personnel about unique border health issues.
With a population of nearly three million residents, San Diego is the largest county along the U.S./Mexico border, and when combined with the 1.8 million residents of Tijuana, the entire region accounts for nearly 32% of the entire U.S./Mexico border population. The rapid growth of the region in terms of population and commercial activities has placed high demands upon the health, social and public infrastructure on both sides of the border. Issues pertaining to health are becoming more prominent as problems arise with regard to the control of communicable disease, cross-border medical emergencies, the impact of substance abuse and international travel for both medical and non-medical reasons.
Approval of these recommendations will authorize the Chief Administrative Officer and our Washington D.C. representative to seek support and funding for this proposal and return to the Board with a report on the progress in 180 days.
We urge your support!
Respectfully submitted,
GREG COX
Supervisor, First District
DIANNE JACOB
Supervisor, Second District
