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Council advances ordinance change on grease control and point-of-sale sewer inspections; adoption at first reading not approved
Summary
The Austin City Council voted to prepare an ordinance that would require food-service grease control and create point-of-sale sanitary sewer and sump-pump inspections, but the ordinance did not pass at first reading and will be carried to a future meeting.
The Austin City Council voted to prepare an ordinance addressing fats, oils and grease (FOG) controls for food-service businesses and to add point-of-sale inspections for sanitary sewer service and sump pumps, but the council did not adopt the ordinance at first reading and agreed to bring it back at a later meeting.
The city’s staff member Steven described the package as aimed at reducing grease entering the sanitary sewer system and maintaining recent inspection gains. “We’re recommending adoption of this ordinance which mainly deals with food service establishments,” Steven said, and he said the point-of-sale inspections are intended to preserve the results of the city’s six-year sump-pump inspection program and to give buyers confidence that a property’s sewer service is viable.
The proposed measures include requirements that food-service establishments maintain and monitor grease traps so grease is captured before it reaches the collection system. For point-of-sale inspections, Steven said the city would work with realtors to notify sellers and buyers and that the inspection may be performed by licensed plumbers rather than a city-sanctioned list: “If you’re a licensed plumber, by the state, you’re then eligible to complete this type of work,” he said.
Council members asked about outreach and implementation. Steven said the city would notify businesses through the building department with mailers and in-person contacts and would work with local real estate professionals about the point-of-sale requirement. He also said the city would not certify a single vendor list to avoid sole-sourcing contractors.
A motion to prepare the ordinance passed; a subsequent motion to adopt the ordinance at first reading did not pass because the requirement for unanimous approval at first reading was not met. Council directed staff to carry the ordinance forward for further consideration at the next meeting.
The ordinance would create ongoing compliance requirements for some businesses and add a new inspection step at property sales; the council did not take final action and will revisit the item at a later date.
