Agenda - 11-19-2002-8e - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: November 19, 2002 Action Agenda Item No. SUBJECT: Food Service Establishment Plan Review Fees DEPARTMENT: Health PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Rosemary Summers, ext 2411 Food Establishment Plan Review Fee Schedule and Policy- OCHD 10/02/02 Memorandum from NCDENR TELEPHONE NUMBERS: to Local Health Departments Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider establishing plan review fees for food service establishments authorized by NC General Statute 130A-248, Section 29A.16. BACKGROUND: During the last session, the North Carolina General Assembly enacted legislation to allow local health departments to charge fees for plan reviews of food service establishments (restaurants, food stands, meat markets, etc.) This act became effective September 30, 2002 and details of implementing the fees were left to local health departments to consider. Prior to this legislation, plan reviews were conducted, but not subject to a fee at the local level. The legislation establishes a maximum fee of $200 per facility. The State of North Carolina will charge a single fee for franchises or chains that use a prototypical design for their new facilities (most of the fast food establishments fall in this category). Restaurants, food stands, meat markets, catered elderly nutrition sites and school lunch rooms are all eligible for fees to be charged. Thirty-one counties are in the process of approving fees authorized by this legislation. The Board of Health considered the establishment of fees for plan review of food and lodging establishments, and on staff recommenda to be set according to total) squareg ootage of the for BOCC approval. Fees are recommended entire facility, which would mitigate the impact for smaller establishments. The range is from $75 for a facility with 1,500 square feet or less to $200 for a facility with an area greater than 5,000 square feet. The Board of Health also is recommending that school lunch rooms and catered elderly nutrition sites be exempt from the plan review fees. The proposed fees can be found in the attachment. FINANCIAL IMPACT: In a given fiscal year, there may be as many as 50 establishments that undergo significant renovations or build new facilities that may be subject to these fees. Assuming a split between categories, it is estimated that this may generate an additional $6,000