The city of Fulton is considering ending its food establishment inspection program, officials announced during Tuesday's Fulton City Council meeting.
That doesn't mean kitchens around town would stop getting inspected - rather, Callaway County would take over the job.
"We think it would be in our best interest to turn it over," said Kyle Bruemmer, Fulton's interim city engineer. "It's a liability for the city, and we don't really collect any fees."
Fulton Director of Administration Bill Johnson said "liability" in this case largely means the weight of community expectations, rather than legal liability.
"Based on health inspections we do, citizens go into these establishments expecting a safe, clean quality product," Johnson said. "We may only go into a restaurant once a year. Even though they may score and do very well at the inspection, we can only assume they're maintaining the same standard of cleanliness and safety the other 364 days a year."
Currently, city health inspector Casey Moss conducts about 175 inspections per year at food establishments, which include schools, churches and food trucks in addition to traditional restaurants. In most cases, establishments do not have to pay to receive a health inspection (though food trucks pay a $25 annual fee; establishments also pay a $25 fee for their first inspection or if they change locations).
"The county charges $100," Johnson said. "Every other health department we've investigated has fees associated with their health inspection, and we do not. It's just a service we've provided."
The city only collects fines if staff have to return to an establishment a third time after violations are not corrected, Bruemmer said. This rarely happens.
"As for what Casey would be doing, if we eliminate the need for a health inspector, her duties would increase to include code enforcement (and) building inspections," said Dennis Houchins, Fulton's planning and protective services director. "This move would allow Casey and I to dedicate more of our time (toward) working together to resolve property nuisance, dilapidated structures and code issues. It would also benefit our building application and inspection process to allow us to get them done in a timely manner."
Johnson said the city has begun talking with Callaway County commissioners about taking on the burden of inspecting Fulton's food establishments (though technically state law requires the county do so). The county already has several health inspectors on staff, he added.
Ending the city's inspection program would also require the elimination of the city's health ordinance, Houchins said. Johnson said the City Council would have to pass an ordinance to repeal it.
Johnson pointed out that across the entire state of Missouri, only 16 cities currently conduct their own inspections. Most of those are major municipalities such as Springfield, Jefferson City and Columbia.
"We are in the bottom two, population-wise, that have their own inspector," Johnson said.
Mayor Lowe Cannell said he's concerned about food truck safety and suggested requiring food trucks to present a recent inspection to receive a business license.
This discussion occurred as Fulton City Council members took on the larger challenge of reviewing a proposed overhaul of the city's fee structure. Everything from commercial trash receptacle rates to burial plots may be affected if and when the changes go into effect.
Tuesday's meeting included a work session, during which the council made it perhaps halfway through the packet of proposed changes. Further discussion will take place at future City Council meetings; no vote is planned as of yet. For more information: bit.ly/3cOgIgo.