Public Health board approves modest fee increases to offset costs

Public Health staff presented an amendment to the environmental-services fee schedule that aims to shift a larger share of regulatory costs to those benefiting from the services. The department cited Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation (about 19.6% since the last update) as the basis for most proposed increases; plan-review fees for complex projects rose a bit more to cover consultant-engineer costs.

The department estimated additional annual revenue of roughly $11,000–$14,000 for the Environmental Health Division. Staff said they compared fees with neighboring and regionally similar counties before drafting the schedule and noted the Board of Health had discussed and supported the proposal. Committee approved the fee changes and the accompanying resolution.