Government Briefs

Septic permit issues

Lincoln County residents seeking information about a septic permit may have a longer wait in the immediate future, after problems with a database at the County Health Department.

Kathi Hooper, health department director, told the Lincoln County Commissioners Wednesday that a failure in an Access database means that the department can not easily search existing permits.

All of the permits — both hard copies and scanned version — are still intact, Hooper said.

The database told them where to find scanned copies, she said.

Due to the manner in which the permits are filed, the department can more easily find permits at this time if they know the name of the installer and the year of installation, she said.

typed permits may be able to be more easily converted for searching in the future, Hooper said she is hoping to be able to hire one or two temporary employees to go through hand-written permits from prior to 2000.

Those handwritten permits will have to be manually entered.

However, Hooper said they are trying to make the best of the situation, taking as an opportunity to update an improve the filing system.

Position reopens

The Lincoln County Health Department is once again in need of an environmental health specialist, after the new-hire quit after less than two weeks on the job.

The specialist performs tasks such as restaurant and hotel inspections.

Kathi Hooper, health department director, said that she has contracted with a Helena company to try to catch the department up on inspections. “Or at least get to the point where I can catch up.”

The position requires at least a bachelor’s degree in the physical, biological or environmental sciences.

The candidate must become a sanitarian in training within one month of hire and a registered sanitarian with the Montana Board of Sanitarians within one year.