Photo by Linda Comins Linda Mehl, Belmont County director of nursing, shows new toys donated by health department employees for the Belmont County Commission’s holiday toy drive for children in need. The health workers have purchased $200 worth of games and toys for this year’s effort.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Belmont County Board of Health on Monday approved 2018 environmental fees, which include a change to temporary food permits.

The measure establishes a per-event fee schedule. The board passed the third reading of the food fees, with board member Dwight Jenewein abstaining from the vote because he owns a restaurant in the county.

Under the new fee structure, a commercial food vendor will pay $84 per event and a nonprofit food vendor will pay $42 per event. Previously, commercial vendors paid $45 a day and nonprofit vendors paid $22.50 a day for temporary food permits.

Rich Lucas, director of environmental health, has said the department will lose a little money from multi-day events, but the new fees better reflect the inspection costs for one-day festivals.

In other matters, the board tabled action on a proposal regarding soil surveys for septic permits, until after Lucas conducts a time feasibility study and drafts a resolution.

Last month, the board approved Lucas’ request to authorize the department’s sanitarians to conduct soil surveys. However, he told the board Monday that requirements are more complicated than he thought originally.

Lucas said the Ohio Department of Health wants specific sanitarians to be named to perform the duties. The state requires a resolution verifying that all criteria are met and that the sanitarians are able to handle these duties.

“If we do take this on, there’s a lot of work involved in it,” Lucas said.

Based on methodology, Lucas estimates a soil survey will cost slightly more than $300 to perform and require six to seven hours of work. He said a fee must be set forth in the resolution, which would require three readings by the board. He also said a time feasibility study should be completed “to see if we have enough people to do it.”

Currently, only soil scientists perform soil surveys. Lucas said there is only one independent soil scientist in Belmont County.

In other matters, Linda Mehl, director of nursing, said the department will begin asking people who qualify for free vaccinations to pay a $15 administrative fee, but clients won’t be denied a vaccine if they can’t afford the fee. She said the department bills insurance companies for the administrative fee when a patient has coverage.

Mehl said she has applied for a grant from the Ohio Department of Health to develop a strategic plan and start a coalition to deal with the opioid crisis. She also is seeking a mini-grant to buy books for the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program.

On a seasonal note, Robert A. Sproul, deputy health commissioner, said employees of the health department have purchased $200 worth of toys for the Belmont County Commission’s holiday toy drive for children in need. He said employees contribute money for the privilege of wearing blue jeans on specified days, and the donations are given to various charitable endeavors on a quarterly basis.