Local Issues
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
As we approach Earth Week, here are some points to ponder:
We have a local Soil and Water Conservation Department and the people are quite nice and helpful, there. Did you know that they can not satisfy your concern or complaint without a direct order from Indiana Department of Environmental Management?
We have a Health Department in Kosciusko County. Again, the people are quite nice and helpful there. Did you know they have to follow the same guidelines when it comes to a complaint or a problem? The state must mandate the order to action.
We have an Area Plan Commission. They have to follow the same protocol. This may or may not be a system of checks and balances. The bottom line is that IDEM is very understaffed with only 17 inspectors for the whole state.
The inspectors are burdened with needing more time for inspections and complaints. They do spend at least 50 percent of their time addressing these tasks. IDEM is approachable. They will take your calls and try to answer your questions. They are just too busy to speak for the whole state.
My question is, “Why can’t we have some of these issues satisfied on a local level?” Many of us are not for big government but think that local government could be expanded. What kind of changes can be made to make us more responsible for our own county and our own little piece of earth?
Marjorie Vance
Claypool, via e-mail[[In-content Ad]]
As we approach Earth Week, here are some points to ponder:
We have a local Soil and Water Conservation Department and the people are quite nice and helpful, there. Did you know that they can not satisfy your concern or complaint without a direct order from Indiana Department of Environmental Management?
We have a Health Department in Kosciusko County. Again, the people are quite nice and helpful there. Did you know they have to follow the same guidelines when it comes to a complaint or a problem? The state must mandate the order to action.
We have an Area Plan Commission. They have to follow the same protocol. This may or may not be a system of checks and balances. The bottom line is that IDEM is very understaffed with only 17 inspectors for the whole state.
The inspectors are burdened with needing more time for inspections and complaints. They do spend at least 50 percent of their time addressing these tasks. IDEM is approachable. They will take your calls and try to answer your questions. They are just too busy to speak for the whole state.
My question is, “Why can’t we have some of these issues satisfied on a local level?” Many of us are not for big government but think that local government could be expanded. What kind of changes can be made to make us more responsible for our own county and our own little piece of earth?
Marjorie Vance
Claypool, via e-mail[[In-content Ad]]
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