Agenda - 06-13-2006-7b - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: .June 13, 2006 Action Agenda Item No. 7- I"J SUBJECT: Proposed Community Water Study Parameters DEPARTMENT: Health PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Draft Policies on Environmental Services Rosemary Summers, 245-2411 Governor's Grove Proposal PURPOSE: To consider parameters for future community water studies. BACKGROUND: The Health Department has engaged in a number of special community water studies over the past five years including: Rogers Road Community, Buckhorn Community, High Rack Quarry Area, and most recently, the Mill Creek Road area. The Mill Creek Road area has been followed by a request from a neighboring community (Governor's Grove) for a study in their area. Often when one community has requested and received permission for a special study, other neighborhoods often follow shortly. Environmental hazard studies are properly the responsibility of the Health Department if there is reasonable suspicion that the public's health may be affected. The Health Department takes seriously its responsibility in this regard. The desire of the Health Department and the Board of Health is to prospectively identify problem areas and prevention measures that will have positive affects on human health. These studies have provided valuable data to add to a countywide database on water quality, however their unplanned nature has led to diversion of staff resources from regular duties, The Board of Health at its May meeting considered the attached draft policies that cover community requests for studies and assessments. The policy proposes Board of Commissioner approval and ftanding for studies where operational costs exceed $2,500 or when the costs are greater than the Health Department can identify in their current budget, As the county moves forward with initiatives in the area of protecting water resources, integrating the cost and need for prospective rather than retrospective studies should be considered, These draft policies, far the most part, do not address prospective studies such as those proposed in the Health Department's Strategic Plan or in the Water Resources Initiative, although the data gathered can further inform the need or direction for prospective studies. FINANCIAL IMPACT: No immediate financial impact is associated with discussing or adapting this policy. Future environmental studies that would be authorized may have additional financial impacts depending on the particular studies needed. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board consider approving the draft as written or providing suggested alterations to the Board of Health,.