KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Kent County still has a problem with lead, and lead poisoning. Thursday, the Kent County Commission voted on a resolution that will help deal with the issue. The resolution is in response to the Kent County Lead Task Force's report delivered in December 2018.
Two new Sanitarian positions through the county health department will be created to perform investigations in high risk homes in Kent County. These two full time employees will provide Elevated Blood Lead (EBL) investigations along with combines Paint Inspections and Risk Assessments.
Between the two, the annual cost for salary and benefits would be $153,344 for the county. The money needed to cover expenses for the new positions during this financial year will be taken from the general fund.
According to Fund Our Future, a grassroots campaign to get the resolution passed, there are 433 addresses in Kent County where at least two families have had young children with elevated lead levels. They say 62% of those addresses are rental units.
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