County health department fees will rise sharply in ’09

Add a few more to the list of losers under Clark County’s budget next year: taco trucks, public spa owners and people drilling wells on their land.

Those are a few of the folks who’ll see sharply increased fees from the county’s environmental public health department next year.

Also Tuesday, commissioners said they plan to retain $4.4 million for various services, including six work release custody officers, prompt handling of property assessment appeals and support for 4-H clubs via the county’s extension service, which they had slated to cut.

That money will come, in part, from reductions to road maintenance.

Among the fees being raised:

nIrrigation well review fees will more than triple, to $320.

nRepair of a failing septic tank of more than 1,000 gallons per day will rise 59 percent, to $1,350.

nFood plan review fees for temporary, traveling restaurants will rise 45 percent, to $400.

nVarious fees for commercial swimming pool operators will rise by 16 to 38 percent.

Jonnie Hyde, the county’s public health services manager, said Tuesday that the fee hikes were so large because her division had only recently begun to calculate the cost of providing each of its services.

The services are supposed to pay for themselves. Last year, she said, taxpayers subsidized the services to the tune of $500,000, largely because county workers stopped collecting permits amid the building slowdown.

Michael Andersen: 360-735-4508 or michael.andersen@columbian.com.