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Utilities commission recommends Ordinance 2026-2 to council to regulate fats, oils, grease and backflow devices
Summary
After a staff presentation, the Mount Vernon Utilities Commission voted to recommend Ordinance 2026‑2 — which updates city rules on fats, oils and grease (FOG) and backflow devices and establishes permitting and inspection via OpenGov — to City Council, with a 50% fee reduction for nonprofits noted.
The Mount Vernon Utilities Commission on Feb. 5 voted to recommend Ordinance 2026‑2 to City Council, a proposed change to Section 911.04 of the city’s codified ordinances addressing fats, oils and grease (FOG) interceptors and backflow devices.
Scott Zimmerman, the city inspector and director of code enforcement, told the commission the city is building a FOG program from the ground up: staff have completed training, drafted an inspection sheet that will be uploaded to OpenGov, and plan outreach to affected facilities. Zimmerman said staff aim to make the portal available on the city’s website by March and emphasized an education-first approach: "we want to get compliance. We don't want this... to be a punitive thing," he said.
Zimmerman and commissioners discussed enforcement mechanisms and fee-setting. Zimmerman said the proposed fee structure will include a 50% reduction for nonprofits. Legal language in the ordinance that would allow termination of water and wastewater services for failure to pay fees will be reviewed with counsel to confirm authority; staff indicated they will ask council to add discretion for enforcement in the final language.
Commissioners explained the rationale for the ordinance is operational protection of the wastewater system. As Commissioner Reinhart described, grease and fats can solidify in service lines and cause main-line backups and increased treatment difficulty at the wastewater plant: "Basically, turns to a solid and causes supermax... Causes main line back..." Staff said the objective is to keep grease and other FOG out of the collection and treatment systems to prevent clogs and treatment problems.
On a motion to recommend adoption of Ordinance 2026‑2 to council, the commission voted by roll call to approve the recommendation. The commission said that, upon council adoption, it will return to this body to develop administrative rules and the detailed implementation steps.
