April 29, 2019

COMMISSIONERS’ PROCEEDINGS
April 29, 2019
Commissioners Robert ‘Pits’ DeArmond, Scott Blain, and Bill Bullock, and Administrative Officer Angela Newell were present.
8:30 Pledge of Allegiance
10:00 Sanitarian in training Cortney Lynde and Travis West from Engineering West met with Commissioners to discuss the fee schedule for sanitarian reviews. They noted the fees were originally adopted when sanitarian services were contracted with Riverstone Health and was based directly on DEQ’s review fees. The current fee schedule includes fees for water systems which the County does not permit and hourly review fees that were based on DEQ engineering costs; Travis and Cortney recommend removing those fees. Cortney is proposing to add a flat fee for variance requests and annual inspections and a $100 extension fee if a septic is not finalized in the two-year period a septic permit is valid for.
11:00 Sanitarian in Training Cortney Lynde, Assistant Lori Kane, Contract planner Forrest Mandeville, Travis West, County Attorney Alex Nixon met with Commissioners regarding wells in the Dot Calm subdivision. The subdivision was originally approved in 2006 for cisterns only; there have been a number of rewrites over the years to get DEQ approval for wells on individual lots. Per previous Sanitarian Josh Juarez, in 2016 DEQ was not going to approve any more wells. Talking to Monica Plecker, a landowner with previously approved wells, DEQ has been telling landowners to punch wells to test the refill rates. In the original subdivision approval, there was a hydrological study of the shallow aquifer that determined it was not sufficient to support the subdivision. There is a 2008 email from DEQ noting there would need to be a study on the sufficiency of the deeper aquifer and to do an interference study; there is nothing in the record indicating the studies were ever conducted. Travis believes the Sanitarian can fall back on DEQ’s 2008 email for withholding local approval. Forrest noted that it is late in the process when the county issues approval and typically landowners will have spent quite a bit of money on initial testing. The Sanitarian will send a letter to DEQ regarding the conditions of subdivision approval and 2008 position; Douglas Drilling and developer Dick Stout. Commissioners confirmed DEQ would be responsible for enforcement. Commissioners and Alex agreed to halt county approvals for wells.
Commissioner Bullock moved to approve employee time as submitted; Commissioner DeArmond seconded; motion carried.
Commissioners confirmed they would like to move surplus sale to last week of May.

12:00 Adjourned