PORT TOWNSEND — The Jefferson County Health Board approved a compromise Thursday between a staff recommendation for temporary food service permit fees and what vendors felt was an affordable amount.
Jefferson County Public Health officials sought to restructure the permitting process, saying it was necessary to come into compliance with state law, and recommended a separate permit and inspection fee for each event rather than issuing a single permit for the whole season.
This would have increased the cost of the permits so they would exceed the profit margin for a particular event and discourage vendors from participating in an event, said Joy Baisch, who manages the annual Brinnon ShrimpFest.
The staff proposal recommended a $130 charge for each permit and an additional $30 for each additional event throughout the season.
The compromise approved Thursday cuts the $30 fee in half to $15 for 2011, while county officials and vendors meet to develop a mutually agreeable permit structure.
About 20 people came to the meeting Thursday afternoon, the crowd spilling out into the atrium of the Health Department’s Sheridan Street headquarters.
Several vendors spoke out against increased fees, saying the costs would threaten their livelihoods.
Lela Hilton, who runs the Cape Cleare Salmon Cart — a fixture at the Port Townsend Farmers Market — said vendors have consistent habits that they use at every location.
For this reason, requiring a separate permit for each event is not a good idea, she said.
“We all bring our own hand-washing and our own power,” she said.
“Changing the sites does not change the safety of the food operation because we bring our safety with us.”
Dos Okies owner Larry Dennison, a former Jefferson County commissioner, said the new system was unreasonable because it added inefficiency and redundancy to the current process.
“I propose we stop this major reinvention of our process on the fly which has thrown businesses that depend on these events into relative chaos right in the middle of our very busiest and most critical season,” Dennison said.
“I propose that we convene a group of stakeholders and staff to address real, definable problems with the current system and develop a strategy of problem-solving that works for the county and the businesses that depend on temporary permits.”
Dennison’s idea provided the basis for the board’s eventual action, though he had lobbied for no additional charges after the initial permits were granted.
Board member Sheila Westerman made a motion to forgive all secondary permits and move toward establishing such a committee by the end of the year, which was seconded by board member Jill Buhler, who is also chairwoman of the Jefferson Healthcare commission.
Jefferson County Commissioner John Austin, also a board member, spoke out against the motion, saying to forgive the permit fees would be to indicate the permits would have no value.
Westerman amended her motion to include a $10 fee, again seconded by Buhler, at which time board member Kris Nelson, who is also a Port Townsend City Council member, suggested $15 because it represented the midpoint between $30 and zero.
Westerman amended, Buhler seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
Jefferson County Public Health Director Jean Baldwin said the $30 fee amount was not arbitrary, since it paid for 30 minutes of a health inspector’s time, the average duration of an inspection.
Using this formula, the fee increases would cover only the administrative costs to meet state health requirements, she said.
These administrative costs will not be covered by the $15 fee, but it will not cause a serious impact to the department, she said.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
