OTTAWA COUNTY — The Ottawa County Board’s health and human services committee heard brief updates on a pair of ongoing discussion topics during a meeting Tuesday, April 16.
Interim Administrator Jon Anderson spoke about time-of-sale well and septic inspections and the Senior Project Fresh Program, which operated through Ottawa Food.
Discussions on well and septic inspections began in early March, when the Ottawa County Department of Public Health requested a new administrative assistant, funded by the state. The position would, in part, help process applications and licenses.
When the position was requested, Commissioner and Board Chair Joe Moss suggested opening time-of-sale inspections to private inspectors. They're currently done only by county staff.
At a meeting March 19, Moss and Spencer Ballard from OCDPH discussed setting up a work group with local realtors. In his update Tuesday, Anderson said discussions are in a preliminary stage.
"Hopefully as these move forward, we can provide a little more detailed information ... about which direction the county has, at least, the options we have to move forward," Anderson said.
Later in the meeting, Commissioner Doug Zylstra asked Anderson about the position request that kicked off discussions.
“I think we’re ready to start pushing that forward,” Anderson said.
Anderson noted he spoke with fiscal services, human resources and OCDPH about ensuring the funding source would be available in the future, rather than becoming a general fund expense after this fiscal year.
“That is something that should be a continuing funding source every fiscal year,” Anderson said. “In talking to the director of human resources, for positions like that, they typically tell the applicant that this could eventually sunset, therefore the position may not be available somewhere down the road. As long as we have that, I think we’re ready to move forward."
Senior Project Fresh, meanwhile, could receive some help.
The program helps provide fresh produce to seniors in the county with $25 vouchers that can be exchanged for fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods at local farmers’ markets and roadside stands.
Due to the lack of a dedicated Ottawa Food coordinator this fiscal year, SPF will not run in 2024. That news was shared by Chara Bouma-Prediger, assistant director of food access at Community Action House, on March 28.
Vouchers will still be distributed at Evergreen Commons in Holland and Four Pointes Center for Successful Aging in Grand Haven.
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But during a department update prior to Anderson’s report, Health Officer Adeline Hambley said OCDPH has, in the past, filled the gap by distributing vouchers to those who are unable to pick them up.
“Usually we’re going to senior living (facilities) and senior apartment complexes,” Hambley said. She added nutrition and health education are part of the department’s key public health functions.
In his update, Anderson said there'd been discussions on whether other departments could help with distributions.
“It was more of, if administration and other departments can assist with some of that, just to make sure we’re not letting that program fall by the wayside,” he said. “We’ll work with anyone to try to make sure those are handled if need be.”
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com.
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