Commissioners OK full time inspector

Wahkiakum County commissioners acted on varied business, honored employees for years of service, and prepared a letter to Governor Jay Inslee seeking help in restoring the county authority over application of biosolids.

The Department of Health and Human Services is searching for a new environmental health specialist. Department Director Sue Cameron announced that recent specialist Leonard Taylor had resigned. Taylor has a sideline septic system design business in Pacific County and wanted to spend more time on it, Cameron said.

An environmental health specialist handles duties such as issuing food permits, inspecting food service establishments and events, and taking care of permitting and inspecting of waste disposal systems.

Taylor's position was .8 of a full time equivalent position. Cameron recommended hiring a full-time employee to fill the position.

It will be difficult to find someone to fill the position, Cameron said, for both Pacific and Cowlitz counties are filling full-time vacant positions. Health and Human Services fiscal officer Chris Weiler added that those counties pay $4 per hour more than Wahkiakum's salary schedule.

Cameron also said that the county, when the state legislature adopts its budgets, will be eligible for an additional $50,000 in new solid waste enforcement funds, and this money may be used to support a full-time specialist.

Until the new specialist is hired, Cameron will handle most of the duties of the office. She'll contract with individuals or other counties to handle septic system permitting and inspecting.

Commissioners approved the request to hire a full-time specialist, with Commissioner Blair Brady emphasizing that the county needed to comply with state law.

Commissioners and departments honored employees for years of service. These included:

Five years--Laurel Heathen, weed control supervisor.

10 years--Chris Weiler, Health and Human Services fiscal officer, and Donna Olsen, Superior Court deputy clerk.

15 years--Terry Tarabochia, Public Works road crew.

20 years--Kim Nielson, ferry skipper; Terese Kofler, auditor clerk, and Vernon Barton, corrections supervisor.

25 years--Kim Tracy, auditor payroll clerk, Lamar Blix, ferry skipper, and Rebecca Thacker, District Court clerk.

Commissioner Brady is heading an effort to enlist other counties to support Wahkiakum's call for a legislation that will allow counties to control the application of biosolids in their jurisdiction.

Wahkiakum created such an ordinance, and the state Department of Ecology prevailed this year in a suit to overturn it, saying state law gives the agency ultimate authority to regulate biosolids.

Lewis County's commissioners are joining the effort and have written a letter that will go to the governor outlining their concerns.

"Ecology cannot both maximize the reuse of sewage sludge products and minimize the resulting risk to public health and the environment," the letter said. "In fact, the agency has maximized the use of biosolids at the expense of public health and the environment."

Brady will forward the Wahkiakum and Lewis county letters to other counties and ask them to join as signers. The packet will then go to the governor's office.