Health Board May Hike Inspection Services Fees
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
The difference between health department services costs and fees charged to support the services runs to thousands of dollars.
Wednesday, the health department board discussed the possibility of increasing septic permit fees and food establishment licenses service inspections.
Costs for sewage surveys and inspections was $48,614 this year. Revenues for this service, generated by permits, is $12,200.
Food inspections, about 1,100 per year, cost $39,083. Income is $7,500.
The yearly cost of water well testing is $6,594. Well permit fees bring in $5,740.
The current fee schedule for private septic systems is $25. Deputy administrator Neal Brown said he makes at least two trips to each septic permit site. There were 242 lot surveys from Aug. 21 to Nov. 24 and 87 septic inspections in the same time period.
Private well permits cost $10.
Food establishments pay $20 for a January through December 12-month permit; $10 for a six-month permit and $3 per day of operation for temporary restaurants. This year there have been 797 inspections of the county's 350 food establishments as of Nov. 28. The county has two food service inspectors: Gregory Turner and Norman Hanford.
At the next meeting a revised fee schedule will be presented, Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver said.
Other fees include vital records services: Birth certificates, one full-size and one wallet size - $7; $4 for the first copy of a death certificate and $2 for each additional copy. The coroner gets $1 for each new death certificate. Immunization validations cost $1 each; genealogy searches are $10 for five names and paternity affidavits are $10 each.
The county commissioners must approve any rate increases.
Dr. William Remington, county health officer, gave an update on the county's tuberculosis cases saying the number of patients has dropped from 10 active last year to one currently. Seven people have gone through the course of treatment.
A proposed four-lot subdivision was discussed by the board because of its proximity to a Turkey Creek Sewer District sewer line. County ordinance mandates that residential subdivision lots be connected to a sewer line if that line is within 100 feet of a proposed development.
Remington asked for the board's advise regarding the property, owned by Martin Dider at East Shore Drive in Syracuse. The sewer line runs along the property, parallel to the Baltimore & Ohio railroad line.
The developer planned on providing septic systems to each lot. A temporary lift station, costing around $10,000, could be used to connect the properties to the sewer line.
The developer, Brown said, was told by Turkey Creek Sewer District representatives that a lift station costing $100,000 must be installed. The developer, Brown said, doesn't want to add this cost to construction.
The capacity of a $100,000 lift station far exceeds outflow from four houses. It would serve several lots, however, and Brown said residents on Syracuse Lake's east shore were interested in sewer services.
Board member Larry Coplen said he believed the Wawasee Conservation Association was opposed to the development because of the possible impact on nearby wetlands. A key spokesman for the Turkey Creek Sewer District, Coplen said, is not cooperating with the developer because of his ties to the conservation association. Coplen did not name the spokesman.
Remington said there were obviously behind-the-scenes maneuverings.
Board member Dennis Woodward asked if the Area Plan Commission could overturn the health officer's recommendation and Weaver said no, they could not.
Woodward said the ordinance plainly says a subdivison "shall" connect to a sewer system and the board took an official vote in support of linking to the sewer line. They also will recommend that the sewer district work with the property developer by installing the temporary pump station.
Members are Larry Coplen, Karen Boling, Joan Darr, John W. Jones, Thomas Howard, Dennis Woodward and Michael Williams. [[In-content Ad]]
The difference between health department services costs and fees charged to support the services runs to thousands of dollars.
Wednesday, the health department board discussed the possibility of increasing septic permit fees and food establishment licenses service inspections.
Costs for sewage surveys and inspections was $48,614 this year. Revenues for this service, generated by permits, is $12,200.
Food inspections, about 1,100 per year, cost $39,083. Income is $7,500.
The yearly cost of water well testing is $6,594. Well permit fees bring in $5,740.
The current fee schedule for private septic systems is $25. Deputy administrator Neal Brown said he makes at least two trips to each septic permit site. There were 242 lot surveys from Aug. 21 to Nov. 24 and 87 septic inspections in the same time period.
Private well permits cost $10.
Food establishments pay $20 for a January through December 12-month permit; $10 for a six-month permit and $3 per day of operation for temporary restaurants. This year there have been 797 inspections of the county's 350 food establishments as of Nov. 28. The county has two food service inspectors: Gregory Turner and Norman Hanford.
At the next meeting a revised fee schedule will be presented, Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver said.
Other fees include vital records services: Birth certificates, one full-size and one wallet size - $7; $4 for the first copy of a death certificate and $2 for each additional copy. The coroner gets $1 for each new death certificate. Immunization validations cost $1 each; genealogy searches are $10 for five names and paternity affidavits are $10 each.
The county commissioners must approve any rate increases.
Dr. William Remington, county health officer, gave an update on the county's tuberculosis cases saying the number of patients has dropped from 10 active last year to one currently. Seven people have gone through the course of treatment.
A proposed four-lot subdivision was discussed by the board because of its proximity to a Turkey Creek Sewer District sewer line. County ordinance mandates that residential subdivision lots be connected to a sewer line if that line is within 100 feet of a proposed development.
Remington asked for the board's advise regarding the property, owned by Martin Dider at East Shore Drive in Syracuse. The sewer line runs along the property, parallel to the Baltimore & Ohio railroad line.
The developer planned on providing septic systems to each lot. A temporary lift station, costing around $10,000, could be used to connect the properties to the sewer line.
The developer, Brown said, was told by Turkey Creek Sewer District representatives that a lift station costing $100,000 must be installed. The developer, Brown said, doesn't want to add this cost to construction.
The capacity of a $100,000 lift station far exceeds outflow from four houses. It would serve several lots, however, and Brown said residents on Syracuse Lake's east shore were interested in sewer services.
Board member Larry Coplen said he believed the Wawasee Conservation Association was opposed to the development because of the possible impact on nearby wetlands. A key spokesman for the Turkey Creek Sewer District, Coplen said, is not cooperating with the developer because of his ties to the conservation association. Coplen did not name the spokesman.
Remington said there were obviously behind-the-scenes maneuverings.
Board member Dennis Woodward asked if the Area Plan Commission could overturn the health officer's recommendation and Weaver said no, they could not.
Woodward said the ordinance plainly says a subdivison "shall" connect to a sewer system and the board took an official vote in support of linking to the sewer line. They also will recommend that the sewer district work with the property developer by installing the temporary pump station.
Members are Larry Coplen, Karen Boling, Joan Darr, John W. Jones, Thomas Howard, Dennis Woodward and Michael Williams. [[In-content Ad]]