Board of Health
The City-County Board of Health for Lincoln County works to prevent disease and illness, ensures a healthy environment and promotes healthy choices by setting county-wide policies and regulations to protect the health of Lincoln County residents.
Next Board Meeting Dates
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Location: Ponderosa Room
Agenda: Click here for agenda and documents
To attend this meeting remotely, connect on Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/9984346152. For audio conferencing dial (253)215-8782 or (669)900-9128 and enter meeting ID 9984346152.
Written comments or questions to the Board should be submitted to . Written comments are accepted at any time, but must be received at least seven days prior to the next Board Meeting to be addressed at that meeting.
Current By-Laws
Current Board Members
Lincoln County Representative: Jan Ivers (Chair)
Ms. Ivers joins the board and brings a wide range of medical experience. Jan is currently an instructor of Nursing at the Flathead Valley Community College and has been an RN at Cabinet Peaks Medical Center and St. Johns Hospital. Jan has past medical technology experience and is a former Registered Sanitarian for Sanders County. In 2014, Jan joined the Peace Corp and was assigned to Malawi, Africa working as a nursing instructor with the University of Malawi.
Jan was born in Glasgow, Montana, but has lived in Libby for the last 14 years. She enjoys sewing, quilting, reading, Sudoku, bicycling and more recently, national politics. Jan is married to husband, Keith, of 37 years, who teaches French in the Libby School districts. Together they have two daughters and two grandchildren. They also have two dogs, one an squirrel hunting hound and the other a rescue cocker spaniel.
Lincoln County Representative: Sara Mertes (Vice Chair)
Dr. Mertes is a Family Medicine Practitioner and Medical Director at Cabinet Peaks Family Medicine. She moved to Montana from Washington after spending a year working in rural New Zealand as a general practitioner. Within her practice, she has a keen interest in women's health as well as wilderness and prevention medicine. Shortly after moving to Montana, she met and married her husband, Jake. Together, they enjoy hiking, traveling, skiing, biking, cooking, and backpacking in the Cabinet mountains.
Lincoln County Representative: Scott Bernhard
Bio coming
Lincoln County Commissioner: Josh Letcher
Mr. Letcher was born and raised in Lincoln County, graduating from Lincoln County High School and attended Flathead Valley Community College. He has worked in a multitude of fields including timber, oil, construction and real estate; owning and operating his own business for over 15 years. He has served on several boards including the Tobacco Valley Rod and Gun Club, Lincoln County Planning board, and the Lincoln County Local Government Review Board. Since he was younger he’s had an interest in public land use and resource management. Commissioner Letcher and his wife Tara have three children and as Commissioner for District 3, he looks forward to making Lincoln County great again.
City of Libby Representative: Laura Crismore
Laura Larson Crismore is the Quality and Risk Manager at Cabinet Peaks Medical Center. Laura graduated from Montana State University with a Bachelors of Science in Microbiology/Clinical Laboratory Science. Laura began working for Cabinet Peaks Medical Center in the clinical laboratory in 2005 and then Quality Improvement Specialist in 2013. Since that time, Laura has earned her Masters of Health Administration from Capella University, graduating in 2016 with high honors and has since further transitioned to the Quality and Risk Manager.
Laura earned her Greenbelt in Lean process improvement in 2015 and has taught multiple classes to staff and community members on the importance of performing root cause analysis so that improvement efforts are successful. Prior to earning her greenbelt, Laura was awarded the 2014 Innovator of the Year through the Frontier Medicine Better Health Partnership for her care coordination project.
Laura is married and has a blended family, three boys and three girls. All have graduated with the exception of the youngest, which is 14. When Laura is not working, she is spending time with family, often on the lake or at the family cabin. Other hobbies include chasing her 14 year old around the state as he competes at various sporting events.
City of Troy Representative: Jim Seifert (Secretary)
Mr. Seifert has spent most of his life in Lincoln County, moving here in 1955. He graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in Pharmacy and went on to start and own Kootenai Drug in Troy from 1978 to 2005. He then provided relief work as a pharmacist and hospital pharmacist from 2006 until he retired in 2018.
Jim and his wife, Jennifer, raised three boys with the help of their village (Troy). His son Peter followed in his footsteps and is a pharmacist owner of Bitteroot Drug in Hamilton, MT. Jim enjoys skiing, bicycling, hiking, fishing, gardening, reading and spending time with his granddaughters. He says that his key to success is "thoughful processing then hard work."
Town of Eureka Representative: Debra Armstrong
Bio coming
Operating Procedures
Operating Procedure #1 - Focus Area Liaisons
Operating Procedure #2 - Public Comment
Operating Procedure #3 - Variance Request
Public Information Request
BOH Regulations
2. Animal Control Policies and Regulations
3. Wastewater Treatment and Disposal
5. Reserved for Proposed Water Well Protection - Pending
7. Notices of Violation & Abatement Order Review Process
Public Health Emergency Preparedness Plans
-Communicable Disease Response Plan
-Non Pharmaceutical Intervention Plan:
NPI plan
-Pandemic Influenza Plan:
Pan Flu plan
-Sample Transport Plan:
Sample Transport plan
Posted Documents
Lincoln County Health Officer Order 7.21.20
Lincoln County Health Officer Order 4.23.20, Phase 1 Reopening
Doney Crowley Settlement Statement
March 23, 2020 Order of the Lincoln County Health Officer
March 18, 2020 Covid-19 Guidance
BOH Position Statement
Motion re Public Comment Periods 11.13.19
Rabies Prevention & Control Policy
Public Health Emergency Letters
ICSC Report of Recommendations Adopted 14 MARCH 2018
OU4/OU7 Operations & Maintenance Documents
EPA Institutional Control Implementation and Assurance Plan (ICIAP): Public Comment from BOH, Final Document, ICIAP Responsiveness Summary
EPA Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Plan: Public Comment from BOH, Final Document, O&M Plan Responsiveness Summary
DEQ Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Manual: May 2020 version
Remedial Action Completion Report for Libby (OU4) and Troy (OU7): Click here
Libby (OU4) and Troy (OU7) Operational and Functional (O&F) Determination Letter: Click here
Libby Asbestos Superfund Oversight Committee Documents (LASOC)
Federal O&M Shortfalls: Considerations for State Funding Documents presented at February 10th LASOC Meeting and February 12th BOH Meeting: Remarks, Estmate Breakdown, and Motion
Options for Making Recommendations to DEQ for Reimbursement Requests Between Meetings (09-29-2020): Click here