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Local News

TOST Repeal initiated by BEDHD of Health

 

The process to repeal TOST was approved Thursday with a 4-1 vote of the Barry Eaton District Health Department Board of Health.

The Board of Health is made up of Barry County commissioners Ben Geiger, David Jackson and Dan Parker, and Eaton County commissioners Blake Mulder, Jane Whitacre and Joe Brehler.

Geiger, Jackson, Mulder and Parker voted to start the repeal; Whitacre voted “no.” Brehler was absent.

 

Repealing the 10-year-old health department regulation will follow the way it was implemented. BEDHD Health Officer Colette Scrimger outlined the time frame for repeal.

Notices of public hearings in both counties will be published in the counties newspapers in early February, depending on their deadlines, followed in 10 days by the hearings, she said.

After the public hearings, the matter moves to the county commissions. Barry County, with meetings every Tuesday will address the issue first.

 

The Eaton County Commission meets once a month, so will likely vote on the repeal at its March 21 meeting.

If both commissions approve the repeal, it will be effective 45 days after the approvals, Scrimger said.

During discussion, Whitacre arguing without TOST or another program in place, the health department would be cut out of any way to improve water quality.

 

Jackson and Parker reassured Whitacre that the department would always be involved in promoting clean water; Jackson committed to support developing an alternative to TOST, agreeing to serve on a steering committee. TOST was a good bridge moving them forward, he said, and they should keep the best of the regulation; its professional evaluators, lenders and real estate people, for what follows TOST. Parker stressed education of the public on clean water and septic systems. “We need to do everything we can to have clean water earmarks, what it is now; with test wells, find out which way it’s going. We need some way of measuring.”

 

Geiger argued there were concerns and questions from the “git go” by the public on TOST. There be no moving forward as long as the “black cloud” of an unresolved TOST hangs over everything the health department does, he said.

 

“The status quo is unacceptable…this program divides counties…we need a program that all can support…it should be something that all can stand behind,” Geiger said.

“Our role will continue,” Mulder said. “We’ll keep on putting education first.” He stressed that maintaining the data they have and its sources for access by the public is important.

 

Before the vote, board members listened to 13 opinions in public comment, seven favoring keeping TOST, six asking for repeal.

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