Health department outlines draft fee changes: reinspection charges and additional pool licenses

Health department staff presented a discussion draft of an ordinance to amend township code section 82-12 that would (1) charge an additional annual licensing fee where a facility maintains more than one body of water (defined by separate filtration systems) and (2) establish reinspection fees for recreational bathing facilities and retail food establishments that fail to correct violations on reinspection.

Nikita Brancato, manager of environmental health services, described the two objectives and how fees would be assessed: seasonal pools currently pay $300 and annual pools $500; the proposal would add a per-additional-pool charge tied to separate filtration systems, and a $150 reinspection fee for recreational bathing venues after two failed inspections (examples of retail-food reinspection fees were tied to square footage, e.g., $135 for <=1,000 sq ft). Staff clarified that routine inspections are typically unannounced, reinspections are done within a typical time frame but not announced per code, and one free reinspection is provided after an initial failure before fees are assessed.

Council raised questions about timelines, the effect on homeowners (home pools would not be inspected or licensed), and whether a minimum time should be specified before charging repeat reinspection fees; a resident recommended that the ordinance include a required reasonable time before enforcement fees are assessed. Staff agreed to remove an outdated "file search" fee section flagged in the draft and to return with clarified language; no vote was taken on the ordinance at this meeting.

Council asked staff to ready the revised draft for formal introduction at the next meeting cycle or early in the new year, allowing the legally required introduction-to-adoption interval.