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Health director seeks pay‑by‑card service, reports staffing hires and a high E. coli reading at a bridge site
Summary
Adams County Health Department Director Joe Ro won board approval to accept card payments, said two budgeted positions (deputy director and public health nurse) will be filled, and reported a nearby water sample that tested about 19,000 E. coli—far above recreational standards—prompting homeowner notification and possible enforcement.
Joe Ro, director of the Adams County Health Department, asked the board’s permission to enter a service agreement so the department can accept credit‑card payments for client convenience. Commissioners approved the agreement and signed the service documents.
Ro said the department plans to post and hire a deputy director and an additional public health nurse; both positions are already in the approved budget. He said the additions will restore operational capacity and permit a return of some remote clinics.
Ro also reported that staff sampled water near a bridge after a suspected discharge and that laboratory testing showed extremely high bacterial levels. "This house I tested or this bridge I tested came in 19,000," Ro said, referring to E. coli counts; he contrasted that with the recreational beach comparison level of 235. Ro said the department will notify property owners, request voluntary remediation and pursue further action, including court proceedings, if compliance is not forthcoming.
Commissioners thanked Ro for the report and urged the department to proceed with follow‑up and to keep the county informed on any enforcement steps.
