Coastal Post Online
MARIN COUNTY'S NEWS
MONTHLY - FREE PRESS
(415)868-1600 -
(415)868-0502(fax) - P.O. Box 31, Bolinas, CA, 94924
November, 2004
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Grand Jury Criticizes Supervisors'
"Gambling" With Public Health
By Jim Scanlon
The
2004 Civil Grand Jury criticized the Board of Supervisors for "... rolling
the dice when it comes to risk to public health" in not acting to insure
that Environmental Health Services enforce County Codes on individual sewage
disposal systems (septic systems).
The "public's watchdog" reported in a summary of it's actions that
the adverse impact of failing septic systems on those in the immediate area and
those downstream [Point Reyes Station] can present a significant public health
threat.
Septic systems and Environmental Health were a matter of concern several
years ago when Ed Stewart, who headed Environmental Health for 28 years was
fired after he publicly criticized Supervisor Steve Kinsey for attempting to
influence septic system enforcement. Also fired was the most experienced
enforcement inspector. Both men were ordered to clear their desks, turn in
their keys and were escorted out of their offices by security staff on 20
minutes notice
At that time Kinsey himself was outed as having an illegal septic system in
his West Marin Home. While his personal system was being rebuilt to bring it
into compliance, Kinsey made appointments to the committee charged with revising
County Codes on septic systems.
The Coastal Post reported extensively on the vague, sleazy charges brought
against Stewart by the County Administrator's Office at Stewart's hearings
before the Personnel Commission which dragged on and on for over a year. These
hearings were opened to the public only at Stewart's request.
It is impossible to know why the Administrator's Office suddenly settled the
case in the middle of one of the interminable hearings, but it did, and the
settlement requires silence. It is also impossible to know how much the County
spent on legal fees during the interminable hearings.
The entire Board of Supervisors can legitimately be criticized by the Grand
Jury for allowing each Supervisor to run his or her District as a feudal
estate, but if there is criticism of septic system enforcement in West Marin,
where most of the septic systems are, it should be specifically directed to the
supervisor of that district.
Environmental Health has suffered enough.