Approved Minutes of October 25, 2023

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MINUTES-Draft ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH October 25, 2023 individuals in hardship and does not send people who are genuinely working to pay their bills to collections. However, there are some folks who are genuinely trying to take advantage of the system, and so there needs to be a mechanism for accountability. She added that set off does not involve wage garnishing, and instead collects from state tax refunds and lottery winnings. Mr. Perschau further clarified that the department makes significant attempts to resolve the outstanding debt in other ways before resorting to set-off. Dr. Jonnal said that she felt better about the debt set-off process given there were multiple pathways for people in need to receive care. In response to Dr. Royce's question about whether there might be issues with cost satisfaction related to the services, Ms. Spey shared that there is an item in the customer satisfaction surveys about cost. Motion to approve the transfer from active to inactive status of$4,162 in bad debt, thus writing it off without collection, was made by Dr. Alison Stuebe, seconded by Dr. Rachel Royce, and carried without dissent. D. Presentation of New Septic and Well Rules Ms. Hudson presented information about the proposed updates to the septic and well rules for Orange County, which will be put to a vote at the November BOH meeting. She clarified that the proposed rules are specifically regarding on-site wastewater regulations. Ms. Hudson shared a brief history of wastewater regulations at the state level in North Carolina, which were originally created in the 1970s and have been periodically amended over the years. During this time, Orange County has abided by their own local codes, which comply with but are more stringent than the state's. Ms. Hudson explained that on January 1st, 2024, substantial revisions to the state regulations will pass, and that these revisions have been in the works since roughly 2005. She added that these new revisions are very similar in content to Orange County's codes but are numbered differently and a bit less stringent. As such, regardless of the board's decision regarding the proposed Orange County wastewater rules, the existing 2015 Orange County rules will have to be rescinded, as they will no longer be in compliance with the state's rules. Ms. Hudson said that if the proposed rules she is presenting are not adopted, Orange County will default to following the state guidelines. She also added that the rules she is presenting are essentially the same as the ones already in place in Orange County, simply updated to follow the state's new numbering conventions. Dr. Stuebe asked Ms. Hudson to define the term "Redoximorphic features," which Ms. Hudson had used in her explanation of the history and revisions to the codes. Ms. Hudson briefly explained that this essentially means the minerals (and thus color) have been stripped from the soil due to water percolation, turning it gray. In response to Mr. Whitaker's question, Ms. Hudson confirmed that all the highlighted portions of the proposed wastewater rules that the board members had been given were instances where Orange County's codes were stricter than the forthcoming state guidelines. Ms. Hudson shared that all Orange County septic tank contractors had the opportunity to review the proposed Orange County rules and had no criticism or recommended changes. She listed some examples of the policies Orange County wishes to retain (such as four inches of gravel below a septic tank or keeping septic tanks on risers) and speculated that most lawmakers are S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agenda&Abstracts\2023 Agenda&Abstracts/ October Page 8