The Peoria County Board deferred a vote to approve new rules to manage independent waste-water systems. Peoria Public Radio’s Alex Rusciano reports the move comes after realtors and other groups say they weren’t involved in crafting the proposed changes:
The Peoria City/County Health Department is proposing changes that would require people requesting permits for repairs to prove the rest of their system is up to code. Another proposed change would make inspectors to eventually follow guidelines when examining a home’s waste-water system prior to selling it. But the Peoria Area Association of Realtors and some residents say they weren’t included in the process of crafting the rules. County Board member Lynn Scott Pearson says County staff were transparent in communicating the proposed changes:
“I have four pages of dates where they met with some organizations, took the changes back, wrote them into the ordinance, took it back to them. So we worked very hard and I really take it to heart when they talk about the staff trying to hide something,” Pearson says.
The Board voted to defer the rules 60 days. In that time a special work group will form that includes realtors, those in the septic business and environmental representatives to further review the proposed changes. In other business a County Board committee will also re-visit a proposed rate hike for private pay residents at the new Heddington Oaks nursing facility.