Septic inspection fees increase

The Flathead City-County Board of Health voted Thursday to increase fees for septic system permits.

At its regular monthly meeting, the board followed the recommendation of the Environmental Health Services Division for:

? New Class 1 Systems (individual dosed sewage treatment systems) fee increase from $150 to $215.

? New Class II Systems (replacing Class 2 and Class 4 systems) fee increase from $360 to $380.

? New Class III Systems (replaces former class 3 and class 5 systems) fee increase from $420 to $440.

The largest fee increase for Class 1 Systems was tied to new septic construction rules approved by the board last month to require uniform pressure distribution of effluent.

New systems will use a pump or siphon system to push effluent out of the tank in measured doses into the drainfield. Most existing residential systems use gravity to move effluent to the drainfield.

Michael Meschke, director of environmental services, said tests of the pump or siphon system and the dosing and drainfield consume more time, raising the cost of inspections.

The cost of training and certifying installers for pressure distribution systems also added to the Class I fee increase.

"This is not an across-the-board increase," Meschke said.

Class II and III systems increases were 5 percent.

Board member Dr. Glen Aasheim said the inspection fee should have come up during board consideration of uniform pressure distribution systems.

He pointed out the new requirements represented a 10 percent cost increase to homeowners without the addition of the increased inspection fee.

Joe Russell, health department director, said the department hadn't increased inspection fees in several years. He said the pressure dosing inspection fees hadn't kept up with inflation.

Meschke said he consulted with both Russell and the county sanitarian in arriving at the new fee schedule.

"We only added the minimum that we thought was absolutely critical," he said.

Board members adopted the increases with County Commissioner Bob Watne, who serves on the health board, voting no. Watne echoed Aasheim's comments that fee increases should have been part of earlier discussions.

"We're already putting a lot of pressure on people trying to get started in the valley," Watne said.

In other board discussion, Aasheim asked for an explanation of the low score of 53 (out of 100) from health inspectors after a Nov. 19 inspection of Chinatown Restaurant in Kalispell.

Meschke said a citizen complaint of a urine smell triggered the inspection. Health officials found raw meat improperly handled, resulting in contamination of areas containing dishes below the butchering area.

As a result, the restaurant closed down over the weekend of Nov. 20-21 to rectify violations of health codes.

The restaurant score was increased to 78 after a Nov. 22 inspection.

In a final action Thursday, the board honored retiring County Commissioner Howard Gipe. Russell characterized Gipe as a good person and a straight shooter.

Russell said that he started with the county when Gipe first got elected 18 years ago.

"It is unprecedented in Flathead County to get elected three times," Russell said.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.