Grant health district may become department

Commissioners to hold public hearing

EPHRATA - The Grant County commissioners are holding a public hearing about the future of the Grant County Health District next week.

The public hearing will be at 4 p.m. on Monday in the commissioners meeting room in the Grant County Courthouse. The commissioners are considering whether to disband the health district and make a health department.

The district is presently a separate entity, which receives money from the county and cities in Grant County. The district is governed by a board of members including the county commissioners and representatives from cities in the county.

Commissioner Richard Stevens said he didn't think the change would result in cutting staff, but there had been some problems with developers stemming from a change in how the district approves water use.

Until recently, when the health district approved land use, they would guarantee there was water for people to use, Stevens said.

But recently they stopped signing off on the amount of water. They still check the quality of the water, Commissioner LeRoy Allison said.

This caused development to stall because county code requires the district to guarantee the amount of water, Stevens said.

Health district administrator Peggy Grigg said she didn't think it was in the district's purview to comment on the amount of water.

"It's really important to be clear about what our obligations are," she said.

It is unclear whether changing to a department would solve the problem, Allison said.

The change may also clear up funding issues, he added. The state law requires a certain amount of money be held in reserves to deal with certain health issues if they come up.

"So the question is, should that money stay in the county's coffers or should that stay in the health district's coffers?" Allison said.

Presently there are

13 health districts in the state and 21 health departments. Grigg said in most of the smaller counties where there are health districts the county commissioners act as the board of health as well.

She said there are advantages and disadvantages to either system.

"I think one of the biggest common threads is that whatever way you go it's very important to have the perspectives and viewpoints of everyone in the community," she said.