Public Health seeks county authorization to accept amended private-well testing grant; transcript does not record final vote

Muskegon County Public Health asked the Human Services Committee to authorize acceptance of an amendment to a private-well testing grant that staff said expands testing statewide and is administered by Trace Analytical through a county contract.

Kathy Moore, the county’s public health director, explained Trace Analytical will handle statewide sample logistics under the county contract and that the county will retain a five-percent administrative pass-through. "Trace sends them the materials, which is a water sampling kit with some instructions...They follow the instructions, send it to Trace, they run the...the results come back to us, but also we send results to the county of jurisdiction and, of course, the resident," Moore said. Moore said the grant amount is up to $1,510,000 and that a related subcontract would not exceed $1,434,500; the agreement term would be extended through Aug. 31, 2026.

A commissioner asked whether the grant would test for PFAS; Moore replied that PFAS is not currently one of the options under this grant. Staff clarified that supplies (sampling kits) are distributed to residents who request testing and that county staff frequently supply kits that are never returned for lab analysis. The state pays per test and passes funds through to county public health; the county would retain an administrative portion and pay the lab on a per-test basis.

The transcript records that Commissioner Page moved the item and Commissioner Craig supported it, and that the committee prepared for a vote. The transcript does not record a final tally or an explicit confirmation that the motion passed; the recording moves on to new business and final comments without a clear vote result on this item.