On or about July 1, 2000, under a Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement, Napa County and Solano County created a joint public health laboratory known then as the Napa-Solano Public Health Laboratory. On or about July 1, 2012, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement (otherwise known as Yolo County Agreement No. 12-48) authorizing Yolo County to join the Napa-Solano regional public health laboratory to create the Napa-Solano-Yolo County Public Health Laboratory, effective July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2015. On or about July 1, 2013, the Board approved the first amendment to Yolo County Agreement 12-48 (Amendment #1) to extend the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement through June 30, 2016 and to add Marin County to the joint public health laboratory, thus creating the Napa-Solano-Yolo-Marin County Public Health Laboratory. On or about May 31, 2016, the Board approved the second amendment to Yolo County Agreement 12-48 (Amendment #2) to extend the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement through June 30, 2021.
Now Napa County, Solano County, Yolo County and Marin County seek to continue the joint public health laboratory as well as add Mendocino County to the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement thus creating the Napa-Solano-Yolo-Marin-Mendocino County Regional Public Health Laboratory (NSYMM PHL). The NSYMM PHL is a State-approved laboratory with Federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) accreditation and Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) certification. The laboratory is critical to the public health and environmental health programs of Solano, Napa, Yolo, Marin and Mendocino counties. The laboratory performs tests to identify and control infectious diseases and pollution of air, water, and food.
Some of the main functions of the laboratory are to perform routine public health laboratory testing for tuberculosis, rabies, COVID-19, other communicable diseases, foodborne illness, and water quality. The laboratory also identifies agents of bioterrorism, such as anthrax.
Solano County is primarily responsible for administrating the operations of the NSYMM PHL. The other participating counties are responsible for making contributions to Solano County to support the general operational costs of the NSYMM PHL as follows:
| Napa County |
$137,308.17 |
| Yolo County |
$175,829.35 |
| Marin County |
$356,035.10 |
| Mendocino County |
$100,000.00 |
In each subsequent year of the Agreement, the annual compensation from Napa, Yolo, Marin, and Mendocino counties to support the general operational costs of the NSYMM PHL will increase by an amount equal to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The CPI data used for the purpose of this agreement will be the 12-month percentage change, using the February-to-February data (typically published each March), set to the geographic area of West Urban-West Size Class B/C (population under 1,500,000), and including all item categories.
If determined necessary by the majority of JEPA members (4 out of 5 votes of County Public Health Officers), Napa, Solano, Yolo, Marin, and Mendocino counties may pay Solano County up to a combined fiscal year total of $100,000 for equipment maintenance. Each county would contribute a pro-rated percentage in proportion to their most recent county population numbers as published by the California Department of Finance, based on 2020 data, the individual county percentages were Napa 12.1%, Solano 38.4%, Yolo 19.3%, Marin 22.5%, Mendocino 7.6%. Under provisions of the current agreement, the counties agreed to cover proportionally the annual maintenance cost (total: $75,000) of newly acquired instruments for COVID-19 and general lab testing. The fees per county are Napa 12.1% ($9,075), Yolo 19.3 % ($14,475), Marin 22.5% ($16,875), Mendocino 7.6% ($5,700).
Staff recommends the approval of this third amendment to Yolo County Agreement #12-48 (Amendment #3) to extend the term through June 30, 2024; add Mendocino County, and establish the billing rates/fee schedule for fiscal year 2021-22 for tests requested by third parties. The NSYMM PHL charges private entities, citizens, governmental agencies, clinics, and private hospitals for the various tests performed. Testing requested by the Health Officer of a participating county is free of charge. |