Agenda

Return

D.5

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Anna Roth, Health Services Director
Date:	July 9, 2019

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

HEARING TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF NEW AND ADJUSTED ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH FEES

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 07/09/2019

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

Contact:	Jocelyn Stortz 925-692-2540
cc:	T Scott M Wilhelm J Stortz

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: July 9, 2019
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

1. RECEIVE report from Environmental Health staff regarding proposed new fees and adjustments to currentfees to fund Environmental Health programs.


2. OPEN a public hearing on proposed Resolution No. 2019/492, which would establish new fees and adjust existing fees that fund the Environmental Health Division of the Contra Costa County Health Services Department; RECEIVE and CONSIDER all oral and written testimony; and CLOSE thehearing.

RECOMMENDATION(S): (CONT'D)

3. FIND that the proposed fee adjustments are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15273 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.

4. ADOPT Resolution No. 2019/492, establishing a schedule of fees set forth in Attachment A to the resolution.

5. DIRECT the Conservation andDevelopment Director or his designee, to prepare and file a Notice of Exemption with the County Clerk.

6. DIRECT the Health Services Director to arrange for payment of a $25.00 fee to the Department of Conservation and Development to process the Notice of Exemption and a $50 fee to the County Clerk to file the Notice of Exemption.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Approval of Resolution No. 2019/492 is projected to increase Environmental Health fee revenues by approximately $1.3 million.

BACKGROUND:

The Contra Costa Environmental Health Division of the Health Services Department exists to protect and promote public health through programs for safe food, safe water for drinking and recreation, the sanitary management of wastes, and development of land in a manner protective of the environment. Legal authority for environmental health programs is obtained from the California Health and Safety Code, Government Code, Public Resources Code, Water Code, California Code of Regulations Titles 15, 17, 22, and 24, local ordinances and regulations and the California Constitution.

The Environmental Health Division is almost wholly funded with fee revenue. Division staff has conducted a review of multiple years of time accounting data to develop fees for 2019 that are aligned with the inspection activity and risk function by type of business. All field staff account for their time spent on facility inspections by using commercial software developed for the Environmental Health programs. By utilizing the updated time and risk factors by business type, staff determined that certain fees warrant an increase while other fees can remain unchanged.

Additional revenue is needed to pay for increases in staff wages since the last major adjustment in 2014, and the anticipated retention of additional staff. Increases are proposed to some of the existing fees, including fees that apply to food facilities, plan reviews, medical waste permits, body art facilities and practitioners, sewage collection and disposal systems and transport, wells and borings, and some solid waste activities. Due to increased efficiencies no changes are needed to some of the fees. New fees are proposed to fund new programs, including the Safe Drug Disposal and Commercial Cannabis programs, and some of the existing programs.

The new and adjusted fees will be set forth in a fee schedule to be attached to the resolution. The fee schedule and a report that explains the basis for fee adjustments and calculations will be provided to the Board and made available to the public at the hearing.

These new and adjusted fees are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15273 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.in that the proposed fees are for the purpose of meeting operating expenses and for purchasing materials and equipment to provide the identified services.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

If Resolution No. 2019/492 is not adopted, current fees will remain in place. Revenue from the current fees together with other revenues may not be sufficient to pay the anticipated costs of the Environmental Health Division in Fiscal Year 2019-2020.

CLERK'S ADDENDUM

NO ACTION TAKEN. This hearing will be rescheduled for July 30 2019.