Public health staff propose septic fee changes and renew air monitoring contract

Public health staff reviewed the county’s annual air-quality monitoring contract and presented proposed revisions to the on-site wastewater treatment system (OWTS) fee schedule.

On air monitoring, staff said the county uses a third‑party contractor for monitoring, calibration and readings and posts data on the county website. The monitoring equipment is located on the Health Department building roof and staff said the contract is their typical annual renewal.

On OWTS fee changes, staff said they are proposing higher fees to cover on-site time, phone calls and follow-up inspections and to accommodate a state surcharge that the county must remit for each permit. Staff removed a real-estate review fee tied to title transfers because the county no longer uses that process.

Commissioners questioned a proposed penalty or after‑the‑fact fee for installations performed without prior permits. One commissioner cautioned that penalties should be processed through the Board of Health per the OWTS Act and suggested that staff consult Linda (not present) or present the proposal to the Board of Health rather than unilaterally imposing a penalty. Public health staff said the after‑the‑fact fee reflects extra staff time when systems are installed without permits and that the fee would be charged in addition to the base permit fee.

Why it matters: changes to OWTS fees could affect homeowners and contractors who install or transfer properties that rely on septic systems; public health urged caution and agreed to further review the penalty approach with the Board of Health.

No formal fee adoption occurred at the workshop; staff said they will work with the Board of Health and return with clarifications.