Health committee reports progress and costs for South Memphis air-monitoring station; approves staffing and cybersecurity contracts
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Summary
Shelby County Health Department reported equipment purchases and site work for a South Memphis air-monitoring station and committee recommended contracts for temporary clinical staffing and a cybersecurity assessment required by the state.
At a monthly update on Oct. 22 the Shelby County Health Department briefed commissioners on progress toward deploying an air-monitoring station in South Memphis and reported purchase and site costs to date. The committee also recommended two separate contract items: temporary clinical staffing to support county public‑health clinics and a cybersecurity controls assessment.
Deputy Director Casey Smith Alexander told commissioners the county had been awarded $411,000 (project funds) for the monitoring station and reported $71,956 in shelter, concrete and sitework costs; additional equipment purchases included a Teledyne carbon‑monoxide analyzer ($17,732), a Teledyne gas calibrator ($26,202) and an air generator ($12,378). Alexander said the department is coordinating installation work and awaiting certain electrical and permitting steps tied to MLGW and vendor drawings.
Committee members asked for a written project summary and for the update to appear on the full commission agenda when staff are unavailable on meeting dates. The department said construction and electrical work remains in progress.
Separately, the committee recommended approval of a contract with InfoJenny Inc. to provide nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other clinical staffing for public-health clinics and the A14 Jefferson site (not to exceed $815,568) and a contract with New Harbor Security Inc. for a cybersecurity controls assessment for applications managed by Shelby County IT (not to exceed $131,500). The cybersecurity assessment, department staff said, is a Tennessee Department of Health requirement tied to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) controls to protect client and organizational data and to allow continued grant funding.
Why it matters: Air-monitoring data is a key public-health tool; commissioners sought financial transparency on the equipment and shelter costs and next steps for installation. The staffing contract supports service continuity at county health clinics; the cybersecurity assessment addresses state grant-compliance requirements.