A group of local residents may be eligible for a refund in charges for certain sewage treatment systems.
During Wednesday’s Board of Health meeting, Health Commissioner Jason Orcena discussed an error in billing for small flow, on-site sewage treatment systems.
Small flow systems are a type of sewage treatment systems typically located at a small business located at an individual’s home.
He explained that the Union County Health Department (UCHD) has an agreement with the Ohio Environment Protection Agency (OEPA) to regulate semi-public sewage treatment systems.
The agreement used to include small flow systems as well.
However, Orcena said UCHD has since implemented its own program for small flow, on-site sewage treatment systems.
For that reason, the health department has established its own fee that is $25 less than the previous cost.
Orcena said a handful of renewal permits were mistakenly issued with the older, semi-public fees and not the revised ones, causing a need to refund those individuals.
“It was our mistake, so we’re happy to do it,” Orcena said.
Director of Environmental Health Marcia Dreiseidel said 34 people will be eligible for the refund, not all small flow systems.
The Board of Health unanimously approved a resolution to refund the cost to affected permit holders.
To remedy the error, UCHD will send a letter notifying residents who were charged the wrong amount that they will be issued a refund.
The letter will instruct the permit recipient to complete an included W9 tax form and mail it back to UCHD. The health department will then issue the refund check.
In other business, the board:
– Approved a rental agreement with Lamar Outdoor advertising for 2020-2022 at a cost of $23,140 per year.
Public Information Officer Jennifer Thrush said the rate generally increases annually, but has been held constant for UCHD for the past four years.
However, she said the company included a 5% rate increase for the upcoming year’s rental. By renting for two years, Thrush said the increase would drop to approximately 3%.
Thrush said the rental cost is paid out of a combination of grant and general revenue funds, based on the content of the billboard.
The rental cost consumes about 55% of UCHD’s advertising and marketing budget, according to Thrush. To avoid draining the entire budget, board approval only includes the cost for the upcoming year despite entering a two-year agreement.
Thrush said informal surveys indicate between 60-70% of respondents know UCHD has a billboard along U.S. 33, while about a third of respondents can recall the billboard’s message.
Even if respondents don’t remember the specific message, Thrush said the billboard has proven to be a strong tool for increasing UCHD brand awareness.
She said approximately 188,000 cars drive past the billboard each week and the office receives a significant number of calls or clients prompted by the billboard.
– Approved a contract with the Village of Richwood to implement the adaptive playground equipment project, not to exceed $2,300, funded by the Creating Healthy Communities grant.
Director of Health Promotion and Planning Shawn Sech said the project is already in the planning stages and will likely add a wheelchair accessible swing to Richwood park.
Health Planner Doug Matthews is also working with the local Board of Developmental Disabilities to create an inclusive park and trail assessment, Sech added.
She said a similar tool does not currently exist and would help to evaluate existing inclusive parks and trails and determine where improvements can be made.
– Approved a contract with the Union County Commissioners, acting through Union County Senior Services, to implement the senior home assessment and modification program, not to exceed $3,000.
Sech said this a contract UCHD has entered previously.
She said it allows the agency to fulfill a tenant of the Injury Prevention Older Adult Falls grant, which funds the contract.