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Committee recommends accepting $18,500 NEHA/FDA grant for environmental health education
Summary
The Health and Human Services Committee endorsed acceptance of an $18,500 grant from the National Environmental Health Association and FDA to support education and retail food safety assessments by the city's environmental health division.
The Hartford City Council Health and Human Services Committee voted Tuesday to recommend the city accept an $18,500 grant from the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to support environmental health education and retail food program work.
Director Jackson Shahid described the grant as primarily used for education and assessment activities, including convening an environmental health summit and providing training for food service establishments to reduce foodborne illness risk. Shahid said the funding could support software or communication tools to improve engagement with retail food establishments and to help them implement updated FDA standards.
Council members asked about staff responsible for the grant. Shahid said the chief sanitarian would manage the grant, with assistance from the environmental health program manager. The committee noted the grant is typically a one-year award and that the city has received similar grants previously. Councilman Gail moved to send the item (2.8) to the full council with a favorable recommendation; the committee approved the motion by voice vote.
Committee members also asked about federal funding uncertainties; Shahid said the department had not lost environmental grants at that time and noted Connecticut state agencies had successfully pushed back on at least one federal stop-work order affecting immunization grants.
