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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 1999.02.25 - 25720Miscellaneous Resolution # 99 047 BY: Commissioners Eric Coleman, District #21, Tim W. Melton, District #7 RE: Health Division -- Food Service Inspection Score Posting Policy TO: Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen: WHEREAS, Oakland County, by and through its Health Division Professionals, has worked diligently for the protection of its citizens in the review and inspection of public food service operations in order to establish standards of sanitation and public health and to enforce the provisions of the state law dealing with food service sanitation; and WHEREAS, in the State of Michigan all retail food service operations are licensed through inspections conducted by the local health departments using a 100 point scoring system to rate such items as food, facilities, equipment and maintenance; and WHEREAS, as a leader and innovator in the efforts to improve both the inspection system and public awareness of safe establishments, Oakland County is involved in an on-going process with the State of Michigan to develop an improved inspection system; and WHEREAS, in Oakland County, the retail food service sanitation inspection reports are public information, however, the inspection reports and scores are not posted in public view in these food service establishments; and WHEREAS, other counties and states have enacted programs that require the posting of restaurant inspections using a 100 point scoring system. The use of the posting requirement system has provided an incentive to many restaurant owners to become more conscious of the health regulations and to improve their operations in order to obtain a higher score; and WHEREAS, acknowledging the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that as many as 9,000 deaths and up to 33 million illnesses each year are directly linked to food contamination, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners finds that a vital component of public health and safety is to enhance efforts to educate both consumers and food handlers and to make restaurant and food safety information more accessible. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Oakland County Board of Commissioners does hereby support a posting requirement system for all county- inspected food establishments and public facilities; and missioner Eric Coleman cTr--nmissioner Tim W. Melton District #7 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Oakland County Board of Commissioners does hereby request the Oakland County Health Division to amend the Sanitation Code for Oakland County to include a policy requiring the following: (1) That all Oakland County Retail Food Service Establishment Inspection Reports and inspection scores be posted within each respective food establishment in an area clearly visible to patrons/public, as determined by the Oakland County Environmental Health inspector. (2) That each food establishment must post the most recent Retail Food Service Establishment Inspection Report and maintain all subsequent reports at the establishment. The current and prior inspection report(s) must be available for review by the public if requested. (3) That the scores contained within each Oakland County Retail Food Service Inspection Report be more readily available to the public by accessing the Oakland County web page on the Internet. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT non-compliance with the adopted inspection posting requirement on the part of any food service establishment is determined to be in violation of the Oakland County Sanitation Code and shall be deemed a civil infraction, subject to a monetary fine as determined by the Oakland County Health Division; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Oakland County Health Division is charged with administering the implementation of the educational component and the amendments to the Oakland County Sanitation Code requiring the posting of Food Service Establishment Inspection Reports; and BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED THAT the amendments to the Oakland County Sanitation Code be adopted following the required Public Hearing being conducted by the Health Division and within ninety (90) days of the approval of this resolution by the Oakland County-Board of Commissioners. Mr. Chairperson, we move the adoption of the foregoing Resolution. 0 <6. Miscellaneous Resolution # 99 _ _ _ RE: Health Division - Food Handling Policy and Education Program . Ltill_\AIWtGu_d Resolution 4t99047 February 25, 1999 The Vice Chairperson referred the resolution to the General Government Committee. There were no objections.