Health official says jail commissary and potential kitchen will require food permits and plan review

County public-health staff told the Edgar County Board that any commissary or kitchen at the new jail must obtain a food permit and undergo a plan review before operations begin.

A public-health official said even facilities that only refrigerate food (for example, brought-in items) must hold a permit under state law and that plan review is required for new or modified facilities. The plan review covers blueprint elements such as floor and wall finishes, ceiling materials, plumbing specifications and hand sinks; cross-contamination prevention measures must be documented.

Board members and project staff said the facility currently brings in food and does not prepare meals on-site, but they acknowledged future expansion of kitchen facilities is possible. The health official asked project staff to send relevant plan pages to the environmental-health office; a county representative said they would contact Josh (project lead) to provide plans as soon as possible.

The board and health staff agreed that meeting permit requirements early would avoid later compliance problems.