Appointment, Duties and Limits to Duties

Link to the MCDC rules (10-144 CMR Ch. 294)

Municipal Meeting The LHO may be faced with a variety of tasks. You are able to prioritize your workload by knowing (1) what you are legally required to do and (2) what you are authorized to do.

Appointment: Title 22 M.R.S.A. §451

You have been appointed a Local Health Officer because you possess the qualities necessary to perform the tasks that will arise while you are the LHO. The basis for this appointment is Title 22 M.R.S.A. §451.
Other aspects of Title 22 M.R.S.A. §451 include:

Requires that all cities and towns have a LHO and that the LHO be appointed for a three year period.
The municipal official or clerk will notify the department in writing of your appointment.
This written notification is to be made within 10 days, and it is to include the health officer's name, age, address and the dates of appointment and beginning of 3-year term.
It is also recommended to include any alternate means of communications such as cell phones, email addresses, etc.

Note: Municipal official definition

Maine law, Title 30-A §2001(11) defines a
“Municipal official” as any elected or appointed member of a municipal government.

Incapacity or absence. In the event of incapacity or absence of the local health officer, the municipal officers shall appoint a person to act as local health officer during that incapacity or absence. The chair of the municipal officers shall perform the duties of a local health officer until the regular local health officer is returned to duty or another person has been appointed and employed. In a municipality with a manager form of government, when the charter so provides, the appointments provided for in this subsection may be made by the manager and the duties prescribed for the chair of the municipal officers during incapacity or absence of the local health officer are performed by the manager.

Appointment, Duties and Limits to Duties

Appointment: Title 22 M.R.S.A. §451

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