Board of Health - July 10, 2026 Minutes
Board of Health– July 10, 2026
The Meeting of the Board of Health of the City of Fargo, North Dakota, was held in person at City Hall Commission Chambers at 12:00 p.m., on Friday, July 10, 2026.
The Board members present or absent during roll call were:
Present: John Seifert, Eric Gjerdevig, Valentina Asiedu, Meg Forde, Andrew McLean, Grant Syverson, Jim Kapitan, John Strand
Virtual: None
Absent: Oliver Frenzel,
Others: Jenn Faul, Melissa Perala, Holly Scott, Dr. Lindemann, Suzanne Schaefer, Abby Lange, Jordan Joshua, Madi Windus, Sydni May, Brenton Nesemeier, Jenna Beilke, Lori Sall, Lyn Welk
Roll Call
Approval of Agenda
Mr. John Strand moved the agenda for approval. Mr. Jim Kapitan seconded this motion. All members voted aye. This motion was declared carried.
Approval of Meeting minutes of the April 10, 2026 meeting
Mr. Jim Kapitan moved the item for approval. Dr. Andrew McLean seconded this motion. All members voted aye. This motion was declared carried.
Health Officer Update
The Health Officer for Fargo Cass Public Health, Dr. Lindemann, speaks through slides provided. She states that we are at seasonal lows for respiratory illness.
Cass County has one isolated case of measles. Of the cases that have appeared in North Dakota, most are showing up for unvaccinated individuals. There is a community-wide plan for measles that was created with Essentia, Sanford, Fargo and independent communities for measles. The plan has protocols for phone calls or in-person visits, so everyone knows where to get tested.
A West Nile virus update was provided. North Dakota tends to be historically high for cases. At the time of the meeting, there were no cases reported in North Dakota. Cases usually start in July, with most cases showing up in September.
Lyme Disease is described as the most common tick-borne illness in the United States and Europe. We see it in the Northeast, Wisconsin and Minnesota mainly; however, it is seen in North Dakota. North Dakota has had six reported cases of Lyme disease so far this year. Proper tick removal is referenced.
Swimmer’s itch is discussed. Avoid shallow, warm water near shorelines with aquatic vegetation or weeds with high populations of snails, ducks or geese.
Ebola updates mention the outbreak in DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Uganda. At the time of the meeting, there were no Ebola cases in the United States and no cases in ND with low risk factors.
Questions from the board included where the nearest cases of tick-borne Powassan virus are located. The state epidemiologist Brenton Nesemeier responded that there have been some cases in Minnesota.
Brenton Nesemeier and Jenna Beilke, epidemiologists, present ND Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS) syphilis updates. There has been a 309% increase in syphilis cases in ND from 2020-2024. The data show there is active transmission happening in ND. 2 out of 3 cases are in the early stages of syphilis. Early stages are when you are infectious. There have been seven cases of congenital syphilis in ND as of the meeting time. 4 of the 7 cases had no prenatal care. There has been an increase in the rate of female infection. Most of the cases are under 35 years of age. There has also been an increase in indigenous populations. Drug use continues to be a prevalent risk factor. Most of the ND syphilis cases were successfully treated in 2024. 100% of the congenital cases of syphilis have been treated. Late-stage infections are the hardest to treat because they require a more intense course of medication. Barriers include a medication shortage. The medication shortage is anticipated to continue through December of 2027. The notification guidelines are discussed. They also mentioned the record they keep of cases. Next steps include implementing rapid syphilis testing, increasing testing and referrals at SSP, fostering partnerships, outreach to persons who utilize drugs, jail screenings, and addressing missed opportunities to screen. They plan to release a health alert to emergency rooms and providers statewide to increase testing in emergency room settings. Cass County has had an increase in cases.
Brenton and Jenna then open for questions from the board.
Questions from the board included: what is the simplest test for screening? Rapid cartridges are the fastest and they are trying to implement them more. Is the increase related to the public not knowing it exists since it was unheard of 10-15 years ago? What is the time frame for reaching back to people once a positive test is received?
Syphilis was unheard of 10-15 years ago; North Dakota maybe had 2 or 3 cases a year. Education for providers is also mentioned. Providers at clinics want to refer them elsewhere once there is a diagnosis rather than treating them, which can delay treatment for weeks. Related to education, Dr. McLean brings up Project ECHO as an educational tool that may help. Once a positive test is received, they typically reach out to them that day if possible. The demographic can be difficult to reach at times.
Budget
Melissa Perala speaks about the FCPH budget. 2023 to 2027 budget numbers are presented. Expenses are discussed along with funding sources and any estimated increases.
Statement of Revenues is brought forth. Grant funding has increased in several areas.
Expenditures through June 2026 are on course, with several expenses covered by grants.
The board is asked if they have any questions. No questions from the board.
Director Jenn Faul mentions that if the board would like to learn more about our budget, we are presenting to the commission on July 21.
Public Health Director Update
Director Jenn Faul speaks about the Public Health Officer update. She thanks Dr. Lindemann for her service from January 2025 to present. She will continue month to month until a new health officer can take her place. There will be interviews for the new Health Officer at the end of July.
The City of Fargo water quality report was mentioned, as well as where to view the document and contacts for the water treatment plant.
FCPH will have Back to School immunization clinics in August of 2026. We have a partnership with Family HealthCare to provide walk-in appointments as well.
Rural Health Transformation grant deferred from April to June. The state put limits on use for three urban areas: Fargo, Bismarck, and Grand Forks. This means we are only able to use those funds in Cass County rural settings. We are putting our funding toward the mobile health unit equipment, county school nurse salaries as well as home health nurse salaries out in the county. We are learning more about what the outlying communities need by speaking to the county administrator and rural mayors. We plan to put funds towards their needs in the future rural health transformation grant renditions. Our next application will be in October of 2026. We anticipate that funding running for five years.
Kim Vance, the Director of the WIC program, is retiring in September. After 46 years in the program and 25 years as the Director of WIC, we thank Kim for her dedication and service to the program that serves so many.
Dr. Syverson thanks Dr. Lindemann for her hard work and Kim for her many, many years of service.
Resource and Recovery Center (RRC)
Madi Windus, Program Coordinator for the RRC, speaks about the RRC. They have been operating fully at the new facility as of June 15, 2026. They have been focusing on outreach and reaching out to neighbors, neighboring businesses and the neighborhood. They are ensuring that they have a presence in the neighborhood and making sure everyone knows that they can contact the staff at any given point for anything that may come up. They are also encouraging being good neighbors amongst our clients, including implementing a good neighbor policy. They have been connecting all guests to a case worker to ensure they have support behind them. The open layout has made it much more efficient for staff to operate. The response to crisis is much faster. They are also seeing a significant decrease in calls to dispatch compared to the previous location.
Sidney May, Data Specialist for Harm Reduction, speaks about data for harm reduction. From June 15 to June 30, they saw 242 unique individuals, averaging 68 guests per day for a total of 820 visits. They are only operating Monday through Friday, so that would be a 10-day count. In those 10 days, they had 16 agencies providing outreach to guests. The agencies reported meeting with 139 guests. These partners are not new as they were serving guests at the previous location as well. It is noted that at the new location, they can serve a higher capacity of providers. The layout of the new building and having dedicated safe meeting spaces makes a difference in the services that they can provide.
Mobile Health Unit (MHU)
Suzanne Schaefer, Nursing and Clinical Services Director, speaks about the Mobile Health Unit. The inaugural event for the Mobile Health Unit was at the Children and Families Wellness Fair at the Lights in West Fargo on June 9, 2026. There were a variety of staff there from FCPH, including cancer prevention, WIC, Women’s Way and Immunizations. The MHU has also been utilized at local libraries for immunization events and WIC went to outlying communities as well. There will be many more events to come.
Great Plains Food Bank Relationship
Suzanne Schaefer speaks about the partnership between FCPH and the Great Plains Food Bank. The Great Plains Food Bank has provided both hygiene items and non-perishable foods directly to FCPH. These items are being distributed to those who are in need through some of our direct care services, including family planning, immunizations, home visiting programs and the Ryan White program. 252 non-perishable food boxes were donated on May 4, 2026. As of June 29, 2026, we have distributed 106 of those boxes. This is a way of our staff providing immediate assistance to those in need.
Flavored Tobacco Ordinance Update
Abby Lange, Health Promotion Director, presents the update on the Flavored Tobacco Ordinance. They held a roundtable meeting on May 13, 2026, that included industry, retailers, commissioners, and the chamber. Valuable feedback was received. They are continuing to review the feedback with the city attorney, the Public Health Law Center and the Safe Coalition, along with other partners to bring it back to the table. There is no projected timeline for next steps.
Board of Health members discussion
Public Health Director Jenn Faul states that this portion of the meeting is for the Board of Health members to ask questions or give general direction.
Dr. Syverson mentions Oliver Frenzel’s letter to the editor in the Fargo Forum about the Syringe Services Program and thanks him for that.
Mr. Strand asks if there is a reason we do not have public comment on the agenda. He is unsure if it is required. Jenn Faul will report back after further research.
Dr. McLean asked about plans for hiring the new health officer. Jenn advises on the process. She mentions the position closed July 9, 2026, and there were four applicants. Dr. McLean and Dr. Syverson have agreed to be on the hiring committee.
Motion to adjourn by Mr. Strand with a second by Dr. McLean. All members voted aye. This motion was declared carried.
Meeting is adjourned at 12:55 pm. The next meeting will be October 2, 2026.
Next Meeting: 10.2.2026
Adjourn at: 12:55 pm