It has now been over six months since the big septic system informational meeting held in Coupeville Recreation Hall (Sept. 14, 2009). All the big wigs from the state and county health departments were present to listen to the overflow crowd of upset and angry people. I believe their mindset was to listen to the comments and take the verbal abuse for two-plus hours and then leave the meeting and do nothing.

Bottom line, there were two very good common-sense proposals that came forth during the meeting. One was to assess every septic system owner $7 on their annual real estate taxes. With 30,000 septic systems that could ensure $210,000 annually to pay for the current cost of the program instead of betting on 10 percent of the septic system owners paying the current cost of $62 to file their septic system inspection results. If this were adopted all the septic system property owners would have to do is just mail in their inspection results to the county.

A second excellent proposal was to let the septic system inspectors, which are certified by the proposal to do inspections, set the date of the next inspection based on the current inspection of the system. This could be put on the current standard inspection form that they now use. Why do we let someone who doesn’t even come to the property owner’s site set the inspection cycle?

Come on people, let’s do something smart for a change. We elect you to do the right things and listen to the people you represent. Please tell us why you do not think these are two very good proposals. Please do no just tell us it’s the states problem or issue, not the county’s. You are supposed to be working hand and glove with the state to make programs, regulations and policy work better and for the people you represent.

Skip Augle

Oak Harbor