NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A project that started years ago in an effort to minimize regulation for those doing sanitation projects in Reno County is a step closer to reality after action by the Board of County Commissioners on Wednesday.
"The Commission would vote to sign the concurrence document, which is a document that KDHE has that says everyone feels good about this code from the county level," said County Counselor Patrick Hoffman. "Then we send it to KDHE, KDHE has to do their review and approval and once we get their approval, it comes back to the county. At that point, even though it feels like we've already approved it, when we send it to KDHE, that's not the formal approval. The formal approval involves setting a public hearing, notice in the newspaper and a specific date. Then, at that hearing, there's an opportunity for the public to comment and then it can be officially adopted."
The high level view of this is that the county's intent is to let KDHE requirements be the main ones that local contractors have to follow, so that they know going in what the requirements are.
"When we have a restrictive code, then, if it doesn't meet the code criteria, you have to ask for a waiver, which then requires additional review," Hoffman said. "When the code is easy to comply with, then, theoretically, there's less. My goal and Darcy's goal and Karla's goal, all of our goal in drafting this is to, we don't want as many waivers. We want the code to be followed, but not have as many waivers, because they do slow everyone down and they require staff to review and have input. We'd rather just have a code that people follow than a bunch of waivers."
Wastewater contractor Ron Vincent with Carl Vincent Service has been working on getting with commissioners to amend the code for years. He is happy with the direction it is headed.
"I'd like to say thanks to everybody here," Vincent said. "Randy, Patrick, Karla, you guys. I mean, this started back in 2005. It was a problem you guys, everybody here adopted. It finally took up to this to get it done. I feel real good about this."
Now, we'll see how long it takes to get KDHE approval for the code. That will likely depend on their caseload other than this, so there isn't a good estimate at this point.
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