MOUNT VERNON — The Knox County Board of Health approved the hiring of Stuart M. Lentz as the new Environmental Health Director for the health department on Wednesday night.
Lentz is an Ohio native originally from Gallia County. He most recently worked as the Environmental Health Sanitarian for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Region 6 Horry County Health Department. He worked in the wastewater and sewage program, rabies control and general sanitation programs for the South Carolina department. He has worked in the area of public health and environmental management for 20 years.
“I was looking to get back to Ohio,” Lentz said about taking the job. “The duties of an environmental health director are to ensure compliance with Ohio Department of Health regulations, environmental programs and work with the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the Ohio EPA. [I will also] work with the public to promote public education, especially on environmental health issues and to advise the public in the best ways to promote good water systems, good sewage systems, and the proper and safe preparation of food.”
Lentz said one of the things he will do is join the health department’s sanitarians on inspection tours of local food preparation establishments.
“I will be doing some job shadowing and seeing what some of the (local) facilities look like and reviewing the files,” he explained.
In other business:
•The board approved a variance for installation of a holding tank for a cabin owned by Jim Hothem on Stroble Road.
•Recommended that Levi Troyer apply for a temporary license to bake bread for retail sale in his home until several questions were answered by the state for obtaining a commercial license. Two main points of contention were whether his setup qualified for cottage industry, and if not, whether his setup meets state standards for a commercial bakery.
•Two solid waste nuisance and construction permit issues involving properties on McLarnan and Dennis Church roads, owned by the Gingrich family, were sent to the Knox County Common Pleas Court on Oct. 19 with a hearing set for Friday.
•The board approved a renewal of a radon education and awareness contract with Licking County.
