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Health department reports inspection and licensing numbers; rental registration partially complete
Summary
Health department staff reported progress on food, tobacco, motel, pool, hazmat and rental certifications, citing new OpenGov rental registration work and cross-department collaboration; short-term rentals must meet new yearly inspection requirements under the updated building code.
At the Feb. 3 meeting, health department staff presented a summary of licensing and inspection activity so far in 2025.
Staff reported the following figures as of the meeting: approximately 155 food establishments listed (about 115 annual licenses received and 7 annual licenses outstanding), about 40 seasonal food licenses (roughly 20 not yet received, typical for off-season), five non-profit annual licenses current, two residential kitchen permits current, and 44 retail food licenses with three outstanding due to ongoing renovations. All 27 tobacco licenses had been renewed.
For lodging, staff said there are about 159 motels/inns/lodges in the town roster; 19 annual licenses were current (one closed for renovation) and many seasonal licenses remain outstanding until the season begins. All 18 annual swimming pool/hot tub permits have been issued; seasonal permits are largely outstanding because pools are not yet open. The department reported that all 72 hazardous-material (hazmat) permits had been issued.
On rentals, staff said 582 rental certifications have been issued to date, with 19 inspections completed for the 2025 season and roughly 75 inspections scheduled. The department reported 1,687 rental registrations submitted (about 53% of its target) and said that the new OpenGov system is making interdepartmental information-sharing easier. Staff noted that in 02/2024 there were almost 3,200 rental certificates in total last year, and they expect the numbers to continue rising as seasonal managers and properties submit materials.
Board members asked about processes to identify new rental properties; staff said the program relies on owner self-reporting, DOR cross-references and inspector observations (including advertisements and social-media listings) and that outreach through management companies helps. The board was also told that under the new building code, short-term rentals (under 31 days) must be inspected annually, and the town has cross-certified an inspector to perform both building and health inspections for those units. The update was informational; no enforcement action was announced during the meeting.
