Commission approves adding environmental health staff after hearing workload data

The Utah County Commission approved changes to the Environmental Health staffing plan that free a restricted position and allow the Health Department to hire an additional environmental health inspector.

Ralph Plaggart of the Health Department introduced the item and Jason Garrett, environmental health, presented metrics showing workload increases. Garrett said the department has "11 full time inspectors of environmental health scientists, and 10 of which are doing food," and explained that current staffing yields about "165 establishments per inspector" compared with the department’s staffing-plan target of 180 and the FDA recommendation of 125. Garrett said last year the county logged 175 applications for systems, an increase of about 100 from prior years, and that since Jan. 1 the county already recorded 28 new food establishments.

Commissioners questioned whether adopting FDA inspection standards — which Garrett said often double or more the time required — was necessary and asked for a clear, task‑level breakdown of what a single inspector’s workload entails (inspections, permits, pool inspections, wastewater responses, and emergent algae/E. coli responses). One commissioner emphasized acting quickly to hire from a strong candidate register before the labor market tightens.

A commissioner moved to approve the staffing line changes as outlined in regular agenda item 7; the motion was seconded and passed 3–0. The commission requested staff provide the more detailed workload breakdown and to include that information in future staffing requests.