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Politics & Government

Douglas Health Board Raises Rates

Over the last four years, the department saw a $232,000 cut in funding from the county and had its state funding slashed by $142,000.

The Douglas County Board of Health will be charging higher fees to certain customers.

The increase, approved Tuesday by the Board of Commissioners, is expected to bring in an additional $23,900 to the department. Over the last four years, the Board of Health saw a $232,000 cut in funding from Douglas County and had its state funding slashed by $142,000.

The increased fees would be passed on to hotels, motels and residents who own swimming pools, not to residents who receive services from the Board of Health.

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Dr. Jack Kennedy told the commission at its work session last week that the department has to take money from programs residents need in order to pay for inspections.

The commission also voted to adopt the Fund Balance Policy and implement the Governmental Accounting Board Statement No. 54 regarding fund balance reporting and governmental fund-type definitions.

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Officials said the statement will better assess the liquidity of funds and clarifies the definition of a fund balance and how that money can be spent, among other things. This is a positive action, Commissioner Kelly Robinson said.

“It clarifies some of the statements that we read,” he said.

At the beginning of the meeting, the commission recognized three students from Harvester Christian Academy for winning a state-wide fire safety contest and having their artwork selected for the 2012 state fire marshal’s fire safety tip calendar.

Kindergarteners Brandon Hawkinson and Will Kimbrough’s drawings were selected for the month of February, and first-grader Kelsea Camp’s drawing will represent the month of November. The lessons for the two months respectively are to go outside if a fire strikes your home, and draw an escape plan to practice with your family.

“They’ve hit the big time,” Fire Chief Scott Spencer said. “They really have.”

Thomas Furr, fire and life safety inspector, said this is the first time in at least 24 years that artwork by Douglas County students has been selected for the state calendar.

Spencer showed those present at the meeting the students’ pictures as he spoke. Also on hand for the recognition were three members of the fire department’s fire prevention team, who congratulated the students and read the recognition to the commission and those in the audience.

“We’ll never know how many fires these folks here prevent,” Spencer said.

In other business, the commission:

  • Approved an annual agreement with Juvenile Conflict Attorney Carolyn Altman
  • Approved an annual agreement with Jeff Morris, a senior victims investigator
  • Approved a quarterly surplus update report for October-December 2011

The commission’s next work session is scheduled for Jan. 13, because county offices are closed on Monday, Jan. 16 for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The commission’s legislative meeting for that week will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 17.

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