Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health Fees topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Environmental Health adds lower-cost prepackaged food permit and clarifies plan-check fees
Summary
The Board approved updates to Environmental Health’s fee schedule that add a lower-cost permit for prepackaged temporary food vendors and add a plan-check fee category for remodels without a hood; the changes reflect a cleanup after a comprehensive fee study.
Placer County’s Board of Supervisors on May 13 adopted amendments to environmental health fees that create a lower-cost permit category for vendors selling prepackaged food at community events and add a specified plan-check fee for retail food facility remodels that don’t require a hood.
Jason Phillippe of Environmental Health said the changes correct omissions and simplify permitting after a February comprehensive fee study. Staff said they had previously charged hourly rates for certain reviews and have now moved to set fees for clarity and predictability.
The new prepackaged-food permit includes a one-event permit and an annual multi-event permit at significantly lower fees than full food-preparation permits; Phillippe said the lower fee reflects the shorter staff time required for prepackaged operations. Environmental Health also added a plan check fee specifically for remodels that do not require a ventilation hood; staff said this was an inadvertent omission in the February study and that switching from hourly billing to a permit fee will streamline administration.
Vendors and event organizers who addressed the board said fees for events and small businesses had felt cumulative; county staff and the board said they were aware of those concerns and noted the new prepackaged fee addresses affordability for small-scale sellers at community events. The board adopted the amendments, which will take effect in 60 days and be reflected on the fiscal year 2025–26 fee schedule.
