County departments seek inspectors, vehicle and increased cleanup funding as inspections backlog grows

Multiple department heads asked Hunt County commissioners on July 6 to expand public-health and safety capacity as the county grows.

Rodney, speaking for Environmental Health, said the department is short-staffed for required inspections and response work. "We have about 285 food establishments," he said, noting the state standard of two inspections per year would require roughly 570 inspections. Rodney asked for an additional environmental-health inspector and a vehicle to ensure time-sensitive work — including rabies investigations and pool inspections — is completed promptly.

Richard Heel asked the court to increase funds for cleanup and tire disposal, saying the county has spent heavily on recent cleanups and tire roundups. He cited higher per-trailer disposal costs than in prior years and requested raising the cleanup/tire-disposal line from $20,000 to $30,000.

David Jones presented a plan to institute commercial and industrial fire-inspection and plan-review services in unincorporated areas and to establish a fee schedule to recover program costs. Jones said establishing inspections and plan review will carry up-front costs and recommended a starter allocation of $18,000 for initial training, equipment and contingencies. "We're working on a fee schedule right now," Jones told the court, adding that some jurisdictions charge substantial permit fees for large projects.

Commissioners asked about possible fee models, interlocal arrangements for towns that manage their own inspections, and whether annual inspections should be assessed fees or whether fees should focus on initial/permit-stage reviews and re-inspections. Jones suggested a menu of permit and inspection fees the court could adopt.

No formal decisions were made at the session; the court directed staff and department heads to refine cost estimates and fee proposals for further review in upcoming budget meetings.