Mission and Goals

The Environmental Health Division is comprised of four operating teams:

• Food and Recreation - North
• Food and Recreation - South
• Waste and Water Quality
• Support

Each operating team develops detailed annual objectives to carry out the mission, values and broad long-term goals and objectives of the Division.

Mission

To protect public health and the environment and promote safety by eliminating or minimizing environmental health hazards through education, regulation and a cooperative working relationship with our community and partner agencies.

Long term Goals & Objectives

1. Protect the public’s health by identifying and preventing the spread of diseases in the community, building effective partnerships with associated agencies, preventing exposure to hazardous risks, and assuring safe food, water supply, and waste disposal.

• Recognize and utilize the diverse skills and strengths of our Division team to accomplish our tasks.
• Develop assessment tools and strategies that are built upon elimination or reduction of health threats.
• Maximize each site visit by having cross-trained staff able to detect and address all public health risks at the time of the visit.
• Encourage initiatives to address emerging public health areas such as children’s health and built environments and seek/coordinate partnerships.

2. Involve the citizens and communities of Sonoma County in identifying health hazards and in maintaining a safe and healthful environment.

• Promote understanding and compliance with environmental health laws and regulations.
• Help people find the best methods to achieve safe environmental health conditions.
• Work with the community to create a positive and innovative partnership to take care of environmental resources necessary for good health.
• Appoint an environmental health specialist contact for each community and encourage each to identify and speak to and /or attend community group/homeowner association meetings.
• Assign each team leader the responsibility to identify and speak to or attend regulated business groups.
• Relate every enforcement action to the health hazard we are trying to prevent and educate the "violator."

3. Provide cost-effective accommodating services in pursuit of our responsibilities, with efficiency, courtesy, and professionalism.

• Provide a welcoming and accommodating atmosphere in our office and via phone contact.
• Contact each complainant with the results of subsequent evaluations and educate as necessary.
• Provide written guides to assist the public with the permit application process.

4. Retain or gain local control of public health programs without compromising existing programs, when desired by Sonoma County to be most responsive to the needs of the communities we serve.

• Find ways to take on new programs that affect the citizens of Sonoma County without compromising existing programs.
• Meet or exceed state certification and performance requirements.
• Stay involved in the state legislative and regulation process.

5. Encourage employee excellence and professional growth and apply the most current scientific knowledge in designing strategies to protect and promote public health.

• Provide meaningful avenues for our team’s professional growth and development.
• Provide a forum for Division team members to share experience, information and expertise.
• Provide all staff with access to the Internet, other research resources, and training.
  

Values

• Customer Service: We are courteous, responsive, and compassionate.
• Leadership: We promote a culture of excellence that transforms vision into effective services.
• Integrity: Our actions are conducted ethically and with honesty and accountability to our peers, collaborators, and clients.
• Equity: Our services and programs promote equity, basic rights, dignity, access to care, and healthy communities.

Questions, comments, suggestions? Send us email.