Board to increase food inspection fees

The fees require one more reading before they're approved.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NEWTON FALLS -- The new fee schedule for food inspections through the Trumbull County Health Department will nearly double fees for a small number of temporary vendors who sell food without an approved mobile vehicle.
It also increases fees for restaurants, stores and other food vendors by about 10 percent.
Frank Migliozzi, director of environmental health, said fees for temporary commercial food service operations or retail food establishments -- places where food is sold without benefit of such services as approved hand-washing stations and other protections against contamination -- nearly doubled to $174.67 per event. The fee currently is $95 per event.
The board of health held a public hearing in Newton Falls and a second reading on the fees this week, without anyone speaking for or against. The fees will require a third reading before approval at the next meeting Nov. 16. The fee schedule is updated every year.
Removed fee cap
Migliozzi said the temporary vendor fees rose dramatically because the health board took off a cap that formerly kept the cost artificially low. He said he thought the cap should be removed because inspections for these types of uses are just as expensive to carry out as any other type. In fact, because they are sites no one has previously inspected, they take more time than most.
Mobile units selling items such a pizza or hot sausage at a fair or festival get a preliminary inspection before they set up at their event, Migliozzi explained. The temporary units do not, and these can include food sold from tents, picnic tables and the like.
The increase on all of the fees is calculated based on the costs associated with doing the inspections -- such as payroll, stamps and transportation -- divided by the number of inspections.
The fees increased by about 10 percent overall, although mobile food fees actually went down from $142 to $138.59. Migliozzi said less can be charged in such situations because many inspections can occur in one place, saving travel and staffing expenses.
Bob Taylor, who sells food every year at the Trumbull County Fair, said his mobile seasonal license cost about $142 last year. He paid that fee just one time all year though his business was inspected several times during last year's fair. He received a letter indicating his fees would go down.
Four levels
Overall, fees are broken down into four levels for restaurants, grocery stores and food processing facilities: The least costly level is R1 for selling prepackaged items; R2 is sales from coffee machines or other exposed food; R3 is for preparing food; R4 is for food that is vacuum processed or prepared, cooled and reheated.
The increases are:
Commercial less than 25,000 square foot, R1 $179 to $190; R2 $197 to $210; R3 $338 to $375; and R4 $418 to $468.
Commercial greater than 25,000 square feet: R1 $241 to $261; R2 $251 to $274; R3 $785 to $895; and R4 $829 to $947.
Noncommercial fees are exactly half the commercial fees.
Septic systems
In other action, the board gave a conceptual approval to a subdivision on Champion Street by Dr. Frank Veres for lots that will use septic systems and referred code violations on several properties for legal action if they do not comply with health department requirements within 60 days.
Dr. James J. Enyeart, the county health commissioner, said most septic code violations come to light because of complaints from neighbors. He estimated the county has about 30,000 properties that have inadequate septic systems and about 3,000 have been upgraded or monitored in recent years.
runyan@vindy.com