Hubbard County weighs staffing options as long‑time septic inspector retires

County staff reported a potential capacity gap in the septic inspection program when a long-running private contractor retires.

“Over the years we’ve inquired with other contractors … they’ve either said no or with conditions as to certain geographies only,” Eric said, explaining that contractors’ geographic limits and higher hourly rates would complicate scheduling and could make contracting more expensive than employing county staff.

Eric said the county currently charges about $300 for a residential septic permit and that historic contractor pay for an inspection was about $125, while new market rates for compliance inspections average roughly $400. He said staff will include an additional environmental‑specialist position in the 2027 budget proposal to prepare for an eventual in‑house inspection model.

Board members pressed staff about tradeoffs. One board member said they were not inclined to increase FTEs this budget cycle given levy growth and resident concerns about rising property taxes; another said in‑house inspections would likely increase turnaround times if done with current staff and could lengthen permit timelines during peak construction season.

Staff noted certification for a private inspector typically takes about a year and more realistically two years because of class schedules and required field mentoring, meaning new private contractors could not be recruited and certified quickly to replace the retiring inspector.

No formal action was taken; staff were asked to continue exploring contractor options and, where feasible, to prioritize working with private contractors while preparing a budget proposal if in‑house coverage becomes necessary.