Clallam County, 9/14/2019 – The Clallam County Board of Health has called for a Public Hearing to begin at 1:30 pm on Tuesday, July 17, 2019 to amend the Clallam County Code and call for a new, county wide annual onsite sewage system operation and maintenance fee on approximately 20,000 – almost 37,000 (depending on which number you believe from the County as to how many septics exist in the county) households with septic systems.
Translation: The County plans on charging everyone in the county with a septic system a $17.00 additional fee (which started out as a $13.00 fee to be charged). “Fee” = “Tax”, to take care of septics, saying they need money to hire more people to “see if there’s a problem” with the septic systems. Interestingly, the Board of County Commissioner accepted a $2 million grant, including $240,000 for two years for OSS O&M [Onsite Septic System Operation & Maintenance] effective May 2019.*
On average, around $176,000 in grant funds (taxpayer money) have been awarded per year over 13 years (a total of $2,288,000.00). NOW THEY WANT MORE MONEY FROM THE TAXPAYERS – an estimated $260,000.00 (based on 20,000 septic systems according on the memo report attached), or $643,552 based on 37,856 septic systems as set out on the Clallam County website, in addition to the $240,000.00 they just received, for a total of approximately $500,000.00 – $819,552.00, depending on which statistic you believe from the County. In addition, the fee will be set each year, meaning it can – and probably will – go up each year. (See attached memo for details and more information.)
The purpose of the fee, which would be collected through our property tax bills, will be to “implement the OSS Management Plan”.
Currently, according to the county, about 25% of the septic system owners pay for their septics to be inspected for an approximate fee of $150.00 or take a class to self-inspect their own septics.
The hearing will be held in the Commissioners Meeting Room at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E 4th St., Room 160, Port Angeles. They propose amending Clallam County Code, Chapter 41.50, Fees and Clallam County Code, Chapter 41.20 On-Site Sewage System. Citizens can appear in person to comment on the new fee or send emails or letters to the Board of Health PRIOR to the meeting here: http://www.clallam.net/features/emailClallam.asp?em=ph
The Board of Health members are County Commissioners Ozias, Johnson and Peach, Jeanne LaBrecque, Dr. Gerald Stephanz, Bob Lake, Dr. Allison Berry Unthank, Andy Brastad and Jennifer Garcelon. Interestingly, the appointees outnumber the elected 3 county commissioners, so the decision will be made by unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats.
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*At the May 21, 2019 meeting of the Board of Health, Jacob Melly presented the fact that “Environmental Health received a grant from Department of Health for $240,000 for two years for OSS O&M effective May 2019. This funding will help the county to transition to stable, local funding by 2021 and not focus on grants to fund the O&M Program. Discussion was had between the board members about the OSS O&M Program. The Board of Health would like more information to be provided at the next Board of Health Meeting including; what the risk is if no action is taken for sustainable funding and more information about specifics of how the sustainable funding would be received from the population.” – Board of Health Minutes, 5.21.2019, page 2.
At the June 18, 2019, the Board of Health, with County Commissioner Bill Peach absent due to back surgery), moved for a public hearing to amend the Clallam County Code Chapter 41.20 and 41.50 on July 16, 2019. after hearing from from David Alvarez who reviewed his legal point of view as a Prosecutor for the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office stating that it is Environmental Health’s obligation to enforce the regulations for OSS. Jacob Melly gave a brief summary of the OSS Sustainable Funding memo.
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