The County Press

County board approves health department fee increases




LAPEER — The Lapeer County Board of Commissioners approved fee increases for Lapeer County Health Dept. (LCHD) services, but not without lengthy discussion.

Fee increases for a number of LCHD services were requested by Director/Health Officer Kathy Haskins to bring the current rates in line with the rising cost of services offered as well as the rates charged by the health departments of neighboring counties. Several fees haven’t seen a change in a decade, and will join a list of updated costs that saw increases October 1 of 2017.

LCHD will also begin offering lead screening services for $25. “We’re not going to be making a profit on this, but it’s the right thing to do,” said Haskins.

County Commissioners approved the request 4-1, with Commissioner Ian Kempf providing the sole dissenting vote. Two commissioners, Rick Warren and Linda Jarvis, were absent.

The majority of fee increases were seen in the realm of environmental health, including the fee for a sewage permit for an existing system rising from $200 to $300 — a 50 percent increase. “We did a county comparison and with an existing system, we have a lot to do, it’s very much like starting from scratch on a new build,” said Steven Stoddard, Director of Environmental Health with LCHD. “Now we’ll be more consistent with surrounding counties.”

Commissioner Kempf expressed his opposition to increasing fees, stating that being “competitive” with surrounding counties is not and should not be the goal. “Is the philosophy to be competitive or is it just to cover costs?” he said. “A fee is a tax, and bottom line is the minute we do this we’re raising taxes in the county, and I have a hard time doing that.”

Because many of the fees have been static for a significant amount of time, said Haskins, and operating costs have risen every year, the goal of the fee increases is to bring both more in sync. “These are fees that should have been raised over the years,” she said.

According to Commissioner Lenny Schneider, since the LCHD budget is supplemented by the county’s general fund tax dollars, not raising fees would mean the burden of the deficit from providing health services would be shouldered by taxpayers, one way or another. “It’s not a self-sustaining operation, and there are certain responsibilities that the health department has, certain roles they have to perform,” he said. No fee increases, said Schneider, would mean a greater increase in the amount of money the county’s general fund headed to the LCHD to supplement the department. As a result, he said, all county residents would be in essence covering the costs of individual private projects that result in the fees in the first place. “We have to find that balance, but not be naïve and say ‘we’re not going to raise any taxes.’”

Lapeer County Health Dept. fee schedule updates

Public Health Nursing Division

• Lead Screening: $25

Environmental Health
• Sewage Permit: Existing
System 3001, increase from $200
to $300
• Plan Review: Residential
Engineered Plans 3038, increase
from $175 to $225
• Plan Review: Commercial
Engineered Plans 3017, increase

from $235 to $300
• Swimming Pools: Increase
from $155 to $200
• Additional Pool/Spa per site:
Increase from $80 to $100
• Fixed Food License: Food
Service License fee (3,000 square
feet or less), increase from $510
to $600
• Food Service Plan Review:
First 3,000 square feet, increase
from $500 to $600
• Plan review for State
Transient Food Unit or renovation/ remodel of a currently
licensed food service facility,
increase from $275 to $300

AICC
• Individual/Didactic Therapy,
Collateral Therapy per hour
reclassified as individual counseling — bachelor’s level per
hour $100, masters level per
hour $120

Medical Examiner
• Cremation Permit Fee:
Increased from $25 to $35