Preston mulls joining health district
Last town in region to still have its own part-time services would be eligible for $15,000 incentive
Preston — Preston is the last town in southeastern Connecticut to join a regional health district, and the state is offering a $15,000 incentive to end the current arrangement of parttime services for health and sanitation inspections and health services.
The Board of Selectmen met for over an hour with Uncas Health District Executive Director Patrick McCormack on Thursday to hear a rundown of services offered by the now 10-town district that covers much of the northern portion of New London County.
“You’re the last town in the region,” McCormack said. “North Stonington joined Ledge Light (Health District) last year.”
First Selectman Robert Congdon said the state Department of Public Health is “pressuring” towns to join health districts, and he expects it might be a mandate in the near future. The state Department of Health notified the town and Uncas Health District in July that if Preston signed a letter of intent to join a district by Sept. 30, the town would be eligible for a $15,000 incentive to offset initial costs. The town would receive $10,000, and Uncas Health District $5,000 if the town joined, memos from the state said.
The Board of Selectmen will dis-
cuss the issue at its 6:30 p.m. meeting Thursday at Town Hall. Congdon is checking with the town attorney on whether a town meeting is required to join a district, or whether it would just be part of next spring’s budget process.
Congdon estimated the cost of joining Uncas Heath District to be “a couple thousand” more than the town currently pays for part-time staff to handle health services, including the loss of permit fee revenues. Services would be improved with the Uncas Health District’s full-time staff and dozens of services and programs, including lead screenings, flu shots, smoking cessation, fall prevention and blood pressure screenings.
Under the current fee structure, Preston would pay $6.61 per capita, $30,842 for the town’s 4,666 population, plus $1.85 per capita state fee, for a total of $39,474 through taxes. McCormack estimated annual permit fees paid by Preston residents and businesses at $5,000. Fees are higher than what Preston currently charges — Uncas charges $125 for a septic permit, while Preston currently charges $40 — but Uncas has extensive staff to provide faster and broader services, Congdon said.
Next steps
A list of steps outlined in one memo from the state called for Preston to hold a formal public hearing, publicized through a legal notice, on joining a health district and provide a record to the state of the vote to join a district. The Uncas Health District board also would have to vote to accept Preston as a member, and the town then would appoint one person to the Uncas Health District board of directors.
Preston could consider either Ledge Light or Uncas Health District, but Uncas might be a better fit geographically. Uncas Health District Sanitarian Al Gosselin, who attended Thursday’s workshop, also was the former Preston sanitarian.
Preston currently has parttime staff to do health services functions: restaurant inspector Ted Falice, sanitarian Randy Dalton and health director Dr. Frank Green. If the town experienced a large-scale emergency or was part of an epidemic striking the state or region, Preston already would be assisted by state and regional health districts.
McCormack said Uncas and Ledge Light districts cooperate and work together on many issues.
Selectman Lynwood Crary expressed concern that joining a health district would bring strict enforcement on local churches and civic groups that now hold food-oriented fundraisers and events. He said if all churches were required to install commercial-grade kitchens, for example, “that would end all church suppers.”
McCormack said the district would work with small churches and groups to prevent that scenario. If churches, scout troops and groups hold events open only to their members, they would not need health inspections. But if the organization is holding a fundraiser, selling tickets or food, inspections would be required.