To the Editor:
Before we jump into joining the Westport-Weston Health District and give away our local control to a larger entity where we will be the minority member, shouldn’t we determine what would be required and what it would cost for us to maintain our OWN local health department?
Shouldn’t we work with our boards and commissions to investigate the financial implications of this major change to our town? Shouldn’t we then compare these two alternatives: 1. Maintain our own Easton Health Department and bring it into compliance with the State; 2. Or join the Westport-Weston Health District and dilute our town’s authority and control?
We should also consider the possibility that this expanded Westport-Weston-Easton health district could add even more towns to our group, possibly creating more conflicts with Easton and diluting Easton’s interests even further. The more participants there are the more entanglements there may be for Easton. Before we leap, shouldn’t we also look at what it might take to remove our town from this expanded district should it present complications or not meet our needs? What might it cost us to get out of it if we were to need that?
We could certainly benefit from doing more homework.
Grant Monsarrat
Easton
