NORTH ELBA — The town of North Elba is proposing an amendment to the local septic system law which would require some property owners to have their system inspected by a qualified engineer prior to selling their property.

The amendment, with changes underlined, can be viewed at tinyurl.com/3fpcddcm or on the town website. There will be a public hearing held prior to the regular town board meeting at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8 at the North Elba Town House at 191 River St., Saranac Lake. There is also an option to attend and comment via video call.

The local law already requires septic system inspections, but the amendment requires an inspection to be completed before the sale of a property that is on or close to Lake Placid and either has a septic system or is serviced by one.

“(It) is a great step forward into preserving our water source and updating the overall health of the lake through inspections of our septic systems,” Supervisor Derek Doty said.

He added that the law is meant to protect the lake as well as new owners who buy properties, since fixing an out-of-date or broken septic system can be a big expense.

The amendment also specifies that the inspection should be completed by a “licensed professional engineer” and that it should be overseen and recorded by the Code Enforcement Office. In cases where the property is inaccessible during the time of the sale (such as during the winter), the seller and buyer need to have signed a legally binding agreement that the property will be inspected after the sale.

New cannabis grants awarded

The board approved two applications for grants from the cannabis sales taxation fund. This fund is reserved for projects that support local youth, elderly community members and law enforcement. Applications for these grants are considered on a rolling basis.

The first was $4,500 to John Brown Lives! to go towards the cost of the annual Adirondack Family Book Festival. The total cost of the festival is $46,411, according to the grant application, not including volunteer hours.

The second was $4,600 for the Adirondack Writing Center for an inter-generational podcast storytelling project. The grant application explained that the organization sees a ripe opportunity for dialogue between young people and seniors, who are often dealing with loneliness in their own ways. The cost of the project includes equipment and training for staff members at the writing center.

Since the writing center is not technically in the town of North Elba, but does serve youth from North Elba, the board agreed the organization qualified for a grant. One request the board had for the center was to make a point of marketing this initiative towards both youth and elders in Lake Placid.