Health & Human Services adopts updated 2026 fee schedule, adds water-testing and lodging categories

Miss Lyons, representing the Health & Human Services department, explained proposed changes to the 2026 HHS fee schedule and the reasons for them.

Lyons said the schedule was updated to reflect changes from the state (identified in the presentation as the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection) that reclassify tourist rooming houses into new size categories (for example, 2–4, 5–9, and 10–19 units) and require changes in lodging and water-testing fees. She said the state’s share of collected fees is increasing (from 13% to 14% next year and 15% the following year), prompting local fee adjustments so the department can cover staffing and program costs.

On water testing, Lyons said the county added combined bacteria and nitrate testing for tourist rooming houses and adjusted fees for transient noncommunity water systems (for campgrounds, gas stations and similar sites under the county’s DNR contract).

Supervisor Schuman moved to approve the resolution adopting the 2026 HHS fee schedule; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote after brief discussion and a request to delay the vote for an absent supervisor was not adopted.

Ending: The fee-schedule resolution was approved and will be implemented as described; staff said the changes are intended to keep the program budget-neutral and cover staffing costs.