Pueblo County health department outlines food-inspection workload and warns of pending state fee increases

Pueblo County health department officials told the Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 25 that the county’s retail food program is inspecting more facilities, offering certification classes to reduce closures, and is awaiting state legislation that would raise license fees over three years.

The presentation, led by Chad Wilma of the health department and Program Manager Vicki Carlton, detailed inspection counts, training efforts and a triannual review process that recommends phased fee increases beginning in 2026.

The county’s food-safety mission, Carlton said, is to ensure food prepared and served to the public is stored and handled to prevent foodborne illness. Carlton said Pueblo follows the 2022 FDA Food Code under authority delegated by the state and cited the program’s statutory authority in the Colorado Revised Statutes. “We inspect restaurants to ensure that they’re properly handling food, keeping it safe for consumption,” Carlton said.

Why it matters: Local inspections and training are the county’s primary tools to prevent outbreaks; changes to fee structure would increase revenue the department says it needs to cover rising personnel…