PORT ANGELES — To help county residents learn how to inspect their own septic systems — saving money and keeping pollutants out of the ground — Clallam County commissioners on Tuesday signed a $60,000 agreement with Seattle-based Jones Advertising Inc. to develop a pilot training curriculum for do-it-yourself inspections.
A panel of county staff and outside reviewers evaluated seven proposals and interviewed the candidates. The bids ranged in cost from $45,000 to $60,000.
Jones Advertising was selected because its proposal closely aligns with the county’s needs for the project.
“Price is only one of the factors,” County Administrator Jim Jones said.
“We’re not required to take the low price, we’re actually looking for what we think is the best overall proposal.”
Other counties
Commissioner Steve Tharinger, a member of the Puget Sound Partnership, said other counties in the region may be interested in adopting a similar curriculum.
“We’re kind of on the point here, and hopefully we can use this then so not every justification has to develop their own training,” he said.
Andy Brastad, environmental health director, said that’s the idea.
“We want to make this transferable to other counties that want to do it,” Brastad said.
Clallam County health officials were inundated last fall by calls from home owners who said they wanted to learn more about their septic systems.
A basic training course, Septics 101, was booked for months.
The response stemmed from a newsletter called Clean Water Herald Septics Edition.
A professional contractor will develop a training curriculum and present a plan by June 30.
The curriculum will include a short video that details the septic system inspection, an illustrated guide, a competency test, a post inspection survey and a Web site. Brastad said the program will be Web-intense.
The agreement with Jones Advertising runs through December 2011. A state Department of Ecology grant is funding the training.
In other action, the board signed an $18,500 per month agreement with Olympic Medical Center for interim nursing services at the Clallam County jail.
The month-to-month contract is retroactive from Jan. 10.
OMC will provide nursing services until to June 30. The public hospital district has provided nursing services at the jail for about two years. The sides mutually agreed to not to renew their $220,000 contract.
The county felt it could get a better price, and the hospital said it felt that it couldn’t provide the level of care it needed to.
County commissioners last week opened a $198,567 per-year bid from Correctional Health Care Management Inc., which is based in Greenwood, Colo., for inmate health care. Correctional Health Care Management Inc. serves 73 facilities in 10 western states.
Sekiu meeting
Meanwhile, the commissioners will head west today for their annual meeting with the Clallam Bay/Sekiu Community Advisory Council in Clallam Bay.
The public meeting will begin at 5 p.m. at the Sekiu Community Center.
Community organization reports, community action team reports and general discussion are on the agenda.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
