Approved Minutes of August 28, 2024

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MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH August 28,2024 VIII. Actions Items A. Proposed Fee Changes Dental Health Services Dr. Stephanie George, Dental Services Director, presented a proposed new fee of$59.00 for a procedure involving placement of Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) to teeth that are at high risk of caries, such as partial erupted permanent teeth and teeth that are difficult to clean. This is a preventative procedure to help prevent development of decay and cavities. This procedure is currently reimbursed by Medicaid at $11.00 per tooth. Environmental Health Services Victoria Hudson, Environmental Health Director, presented five fee requests: three fee increases related to re-inspections of buildings, wells, and pools after a permit denial to appropriately compensate for staff time, a fee increase for total suspended/dissolved solids analyses related to the cost of the lab tests, and a new fee implemented for whenever the Planning and Inspections Department flags a building permit for review by the health department. Ms. Hudson explained that this new proposed fee is a nominal fee of$0.01 per square foot and no less than $25 that will be added when a building permit submitted to the Planning and Inspections Department is flagged as being related to an existing Environmental Health Services permit and requires review from an Environmental Health staff member to ensure agreement between the applications that community members have submitted. She added that the money collected from this fee would be used to fund equity-related projects for community members in need, for example to help pay for water sampling and small household repairs. Mr. Whitaker asked if there was precedent for a new fee like this, to which Ms. Hudson replied that existing building permits in the county include nominal fees for things like copies and technology fees. She added that this fee will only be triggered when Environmental Health is contacted to review a permit. Commissioner Fowler observed that in the request form, the fee for the pool reinspection had decreased rather than increased. Ms. Hudson said that this was an error, as the proposed fee change was an increase, and that the two figures on the form should be inverted for this fee. In response to Dr. Crandell's question about the typical square footage of a building permit, Ms. Hudson said that permits begin to be issued at 20x20ft and that some 8,000 square foot homes have recently been permitted. Dr. Crandell confirmed that a 3,000 square foot home would have an associated fee of$30. Ms. Hudson explained that the Housing Department would collect and utilize the funds to help lower-income residents afford health and safety expenses that may otherwise be cost- prohibitive, such as testing well water samples and conducting minor household repairs. In response to Mr. Whitaker's question, Ms. Hudson explained that the funds would be ledgered to a separate non-zero-balanced account in Environmental Health for use but would be collected by the Planning and Inspections Department. S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agendas &Abstracts\2024 Agenda and Abstracts/ August Page 8