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Cowlitz County environmental health staff report ramped‑up food, pool and campground inspections
Summary
Health department staff told the Board they completed roughly 600 food inspections by April after a period of understaffing, and said seasonal inspections of pools, campsites and temporary food vendors are underway.
Cowlitz County environmental health staff told the Board of Health they completed about 600 food inspections by April and have shifted into seasonal inspections of pools, spas and campgrounds as warmer weather approaches.
Nut graf: Staff said inspections were reduced during a recent staffing shortage, but the department has increased activity and now inspects food trucks and temporary vendors at events, hotel and apartment pools, and licensed campgrounds to check sanitation, waste disposal and public‑health hazards.
Staff described inspection priorities and seasonal work: food safety inspections at restaurants and vendor events, pool and spa safety checks at hotels and community facilities, campground inspections for sewage and trash controls, and daily solid‑waste enforcement focused on illegal dumping and nuisance properties. Staff also described a reciprocity process for certain vendors permitted in other counties.
Board members asked whether the department inspects unlicensed or unauthorized campgrounds; staff said their regulatory authority covers licensed campgrounds that pay for and accept customers, not unpermitted encampments. Staff proposed a future update with case examples of solid‑waste enforcement and cleanup successes.
Ending: The department will continue seasonal inspection work and return to the board with additional solid‑waste enforcement examples at a later meeting. No formal action was taken.
