HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93011_1525 (2)nationwide that were eligible to submit applications for a $600,000 annual grant for Community
Health Centers. She said 120 counties would be awarded the grant, and if pursued by Iredell
County and then awarded by the federal government, an area north of the Yadkin River would be
the targeted population. She said, however, a site on Shelton Avenue, in south Statesville, had
been identified as a potential location. Blumenstein said the State Community and Public Health
Leadership organization had asked the Gaston Family Health Services, an existing non-profit
entity in Gaston County, NC, to consider opening an Iredell center. She said the Gaston facility
was requesting a letter from the county advising that ICATS would expand its transportation
routes to include areas in north Iredell. Blumenstein said Iredell Memorial currently contributed
$300,000 to the Open Door Clinic, but this money would be diverted to the new Iredell County
facility, if created and operated by the Gaston Family Health agency. Additionally, she said
Davis Regional Hospital would assist with funding.
END OF CONSENT AGENDA ----------------------------------
Request from the Health Department for Approval of Fee Revisions for the
Environmental Health Program & Removal of the Repair Fee: Health Director Donna
Campbell said environmental fee revisions were requested effective June 1, 2007, and there was
also a request, effective immediately, to remove septic repair fees. She said the health
department had been instructed to cover the ongoing budgeted costs of the onsite wastewater
program through fee revenues. Campbell said, additionally, the staff had noted there had been a
fifty percent decrease in repair permits and it was felt the public was either not repairing their
septic systems repaired, or they were illegally fixing them. She said in the interest of public
health, the repair fee needed to be eliminated.
Commissioner Johnson asked how much revenue would be lost with the abolishment of
the repair fees.
Campbell said approximately $10,000.
Johnson said the health department had estimated the budgeted costs at $950,000 and the
actual operational cost was estimated at $750,000 due to lapsed salaries. He continued by saying
the service was supposed to be self-funded in order for the taxpayers to not subsidize a
homebuilders' purchase of a septic permit. Mr. Johnson said it wasn't fair for the operational
costs to be less than the budgeted costs. He expressed concerns about any excess revenue going
towards other service areas. Mr. Johnson said the numbers needed to be closer -- somewhere in
the middle -- and the numbers probably needed to be reviewed each year for inflation.
Campbell said that in budgeting, the department was expected to cover the costs or to
cover the budgeted expense. She said if it wasn't budgeted with revenue, then county dollars
would have to be set aside to cover the expenses.
Johnson said in the free market that when goods didn't sell, the costs were decreased. He
said it was difficult to understand that with septic permits requests being down, there was a price
increase. Johnson said in the free market the cost would be lowered to encourage the purchase.
Campbell said the staff had to be maintained and the well program would be
implemented in the next year. She said county management had instructed the department to
cover its own cost, and to do this, revenues were used. Campbell said if insufficient fee revenues
occurred, then county dollars would need to be guaranteed.
Commissioner Robertson asked what happened if more money was collected than was
actually spent in the environmental program. He asked, for example, if additional money could
be used for children's vitamins.
Deputy County Manager Blumenstein said the only way this might occur was through a
budget amendment to transfer the funds from environmental to clinical. Blumenstein said at the
end of the year, funds lapsed and rolled into the general fund. She said the board could maintain
the existing price and increase the estimated work requests to balance out.
Robertson asked Environmental Health Supervisor Kelly Sheeks to address the new staff
that would be added for the well program.
12