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Health — Environmental Health Specialist <br />• <br />Request: Establish a new permanent <br />full time Environmental Health Specialist position. <br />Purpose: To reduce the waiting time required for soil/site evaluations and issuance of <br />permits for construction, repair and operation of septic systems. <br />Job Functions: <br />❑ Conduct soil/site evaluations of properties under consideration for development with on— <br />site septic systems. <br />❑ Issue permits for properties that are approvable to authorize the installation or repair of <br />septic systems. <br />❑ Complete final inspection of new and repaired septic systems. <br />❑ Re- inspect certain septic systems and other state permitted wastewater systems. <br />❑ Investigate complaints from citizens regarding septic systems. <br />Needs Addressed: <br />❑ The current waiting period for soil/site evaluations is an estimated average of 19 business <br />days between receipt of the application and the initial site visit. The time between the <br />initial site visit and issuance or denial of the permit is an average of 3.6 business days. In <br />total, the average time between application receipt and permit issuance or denial is 22.7 <br />business days. <br />❑ Timeliness of service for soil/site evaluations and issuance of permits has been and <br />continues to be a significant customer service issue. <br />❑ The table below shows several workload indicators in the areas of septic system <br />inspections. <br />Indicator <br />1996 -97 <br />1997 -98 <br />Projected <br />1998 -99 <br />Projected <br />1999 -00 <br />Site Evaluations <br />779 <br />659 <br />645 <br />710 <br />Septic Permits <br />447 <br />591 <br />535 <br />525 <br />Septic Approvals <br />1 550 <br />473 <br />545 <br />600 <br />Reinspections <br />1 175 <br />1 162 <br />1 182 <br />1 225 <br />Outcomes: <br />With the addition of this position, Environmental Health will reduce the waitin g times for the <br />septic permitting process by about 30 percent as shown below: <br />