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Board approves stepping back from permitting individual private wells
Summary
The Cortland County Board of Health voted unanimously Jan. 20 to step back from permitting individual private water-supply wells after staff concluded the county's role overlaps with state oversight; Mary Wright moved the measure and Marisa Clifford seconded it.
The Cortland County Board of Health voted unanimously Jan. 20 to step back from permitting individual private water-supply wells, concluding local permitting duplicates state oversight.
Don Ware, Director of Environmental Health, told the board that residents and contractors had raised concerns about Cortland County's permitting approach, which differs from neighboring counties. Ware said the department consulted New York State regional partners and the New York State Association of County Health Officials (NYSACHO) and found that the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) already provides contractor oversight. The board approved the recommended change with Mary Wright, R.N., as mover and Marisa Clifford, D.M.D., as seconder.
The minutes note the county's decision frames its permitting role as focused on individual health rather than broader public-health oversight. The motion passed unanimously; the minutes do not record individual vote tallies beyond "approved [unanimous]." The Sanitary Code review that accompanies this change will include clarifying language about where the county follows the New York State Sanitary Code and where it adopts county-level additions.
