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Stark County health officials brief North Canton council on environmental health services and funding
Summary
Stark County Health Commissioner Kirk Norris and Paul Depascal, director of environmental health, told council about food/pool inspections, mosquito and disease surveillance, plumbing and septic oversight, emergency responses and funding sources; they said the district fields thousands of inspections yearly and that roughly 40% of funding is from grants.
Stark County Health Commissioner Kirk Norris and Paul Depascal, director of environmental health, briefed the North Canton City Council on the county health department’s environmental health work and how it serves the city.
Norris said the department’s strategic priorities include strengthening public-facing outreach and partnerships with municipal partners. He told council, “You can reach us literally 24/7. That’s no joke,” and said the county’s staff try to answer calls directly.
Depascal described the programs the department provides in the city: routine food and pool inspections, animal-bite investigations, open-dumping enforcement (including tire dumps), mosquito surveillance and disease monitoring, oversight of private wells and septic systems, and backup plumbing inspections for city staff. He said the department performs roughly 33 inspections per worker and about 8,000 inspections a year across its jurisdiction.
In a follow-up exchange about funding and scale, staff said the district serves multiple townships and cities and that funding sources consist of roughly 40% grants, about 40% fees and permits, and about 20% federal contributions. Norris added the district is the ninth-largest health district in Ohio and described coordination with local city health departments.
Council members were invited to take staff cards and contact the health department with questions or concerns; officials said they would share additional materials and follow up as needed.
