Faced with a Health Department that could no longer meet state standards and impending staff retirements, Chester voters approved a move to join Deep River, Clinton, Old Saybrook, and Haddam in the Connecticut River Area Health District (CRAHD).

The measure, which came with the recommendation of the current health director, sanitarian, Board of Selectmen, and Board of Finance, passed along with the town budget at town meeting May 30. Through the move, the town will now have access to expanded health and human services—and avoids running afoul of the state.

“The Connecticut Department of Public Health has recently determined, by virtue of inspection, that the Chester Health Department is not in compliance with the statutory requirements,” said Chester First Selectman Lauren Gister. “Now, we have not been in compliance for some time, this is not new.”

State statutes require municipalities to provide an equivalent of one full-time, 35 hour employee and also provide 10 essential services to residents.

“Those [elements or services] range from public health education to services such as asthma clinics and flu shot clinics; they have to do with sanitarian services—there are many, many facets of the Health Department, and we are meeting about 6 of the 10 at the moment,” said Gister.

When looking into possible solutions to these issues, it was found that without hiring someone full time for approximately $100,000 salary and benefits, the town could not equal the services that it would get from CRAHD at a lower cost.

With CRAHD membership beginning July 1, the Town of Chester Health and Welfare budget (covering Health Services, Sanitation Department, and Human Services Department) is $149,338, an increase of $14,842.

Deep River First Selectman Angus McDonald said his town was pleased with the service CRAHD provides, even with rising costs.

“Costs are going up and CRAHD is one of the most expensive health districts per capita,” McDonald said. “But, part of this might not be that there’s a savings, but we get better services.”

Deep River has been a member of CRAHD since its inception 10 years ago.

“As far as the health and human services goes they really are helpful,” said McDonald.

About 10 years ago, Chester considered joining a health district but ultimately decided not to.

“Much of the rationale for that [decision] was cost, loss of control of our records because the records would have been moved from the Town Hall to Old Saybrook, and not having a sanitarian on site as we do now,” said Gister. “None of those things are present anymore.”

After discussion with CRAHD, Gister confirmed that there would be a sanitarian on site Monday and Wednesday mornings, as well as one Tuesday night a month, and that those same sanitarians are available for inspections all week long. The town’s records would also remain in Chester.