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A tell-tale sign that growth -an-development are alive and well in Macon County is
the continued flow of septic applications filed at the health department. The backlog
of septic permit applications that has plagued the Environmental Health Division of
the county health department for more than a year is finally dwindling. But an
average of 110 permits a month is still considered the norm for Macon County.
"Development has slowed or halted everywhere in the country, even in south
Florida," said Bany Patterson, county environmental health supervisor. "But
Western North Carolina and Northern California are booming." He said the
Nantahala area is realty growing "matching Highlands in land prices," he said.
At the Oct. 2 Macon County Commission meeting, Patterson had good hews to tell.
"The back- log of septic applications as of Sept. 27 was 252, which represents an 8-
10 week delay," he said. "The downward trend is continuing from the worst case of
559 applications which represented a 12-15 week delay early this past summer.
He said of the current back- log of 101 permits is due to the large June influx
received in advance of the July I, 2006 increase in application fee. "That more than
doubled the normal monthly total and immediately put us behind an additional 4-5
weeks," said Patterson.

Recently increased funding so more staff could be hired which means the
department can we get on track and stay on track for 2007. “We are on track to be
caught up early next year - by that I mean a sustainable 2-3 week backlog period,"
said Patterson. "I now feel we can be caught up earlier than n March 2007, probably
by February."

Proponents of the “Fast-track" philosophy, commissioners voted to decrease the
fast-track fee from $165 to $100. Director of the Health Department Ken Ring said
the $100 fee will cover the man-hours required to do the final sign-off procedures 1
on-site and in the office. Commissioners have authorized the health department to
require developers 1 with more than two septic applications to use the fast-track
scenario.
Fast-tracking involves requiring applicants to pay the health department a reduced
fee to both verify that soil sample reports are accurate and to get the final sign- off,
but to pay a private contractor to inspect the system. A private contractor charges
anywhere from $700-$2,500 to do the work but can usually get it done a lot faster
than the health department. Obviously this costs developers more money, but they
have a choice," said County Manager Sam re Greenwood. "Contractors usually
have more people on the payroll and can come in and do a subdivision in a week's
time."
Ring said technically the fast-track theory should work, but people have figured out
a way to get around that, he said. "Instead of applying for three or more 11 lots at a
time, they are just applying for two," he said.
Unfortunately, the health department lost one of its staff to another county which
brings the number to four full-time authorized environmental health specialists.
Recent changes in state authorization procedures will accelerate authorization for
the n two most recent employees who came onboard in August. 'The department
expects to have six authorized environmental health specialists by early December.