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Warrick County health officer moves to bring Healthy Families program in-house; inspector revokes several septic permits
Summary
The county health officer told commissioners the department will replace a Vanderburgh County contract with local Tri-CAP’s Healthy Families program at no cost to the health department and reported revoked septic permits and at least one E. coli contamination among older systems; commissioners approved the program switch.
Warrick County Health Officer Dr. Gauri told commissioners on Tuesday that the health department will end its contract with Vanderburgh County for early-childhood services and enter an MOU with local agency Tri-CAP to provide the Healthy Families program.
Dr. Gauri said Tri-CAP provides services from pre-birth through age 5 and can deliver the same services offered under the county’s current pre-to-3 arrangement. She told the board Tri-CAP’s model would come at no net cost to the health department; by contrast, she said Vanderburgh County staff estimated a full year of service for the pre-to-3 program could cost as much as $200,000.
"They offer the exact same program, and it is funded through DCS, which is why it would be no cost to us to the health department," Dr. Gauri said.
Commissioners unanimously approved a motion to proceed with terminating the Vanderburgh County contract and executing an MOU with Tri-CAP to serve county residents.
In the same report, Dr. Gauri and health staff briefed the board on septic-permit reviews performed by a recently hired septic inspector. Staff said the inspector discovered multiple permits that had been signed off improperly, including at least one system installed in a mapped flood plain. Several permits were revoked so property owners could submit corrective plans.
Speaker 2 described one instance in which water samples showed E. coli at levels “eight times the same level,” and emphasized the work’s public-health implications. Health staff said most affected property owners have submitted plans for correction and that the department is working with homeowners and contractors to resolve outstanding issues.
"We're just trying to be fully transparent," Dr. Gauri told the commissioners, adding that the department had informed the health board and would bring the spreadsheet of issues to the commission for awareness.
Commissioners and staff stressed the goal of correcting problems without unnecessarily preventing legitimate construction or work by contractors. The health officer said the new inspector has relevant training in soils and environmental work and that resumes could be provided on request.
The board did not take additional action beyond approving the Tri-CAP MOU and encouraged continued communication as corrections proceed.
