Posted: 3/14/06
Food, lodging inspections changing
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
A new approach to food and lodging inspections in Houston County is coming in 2007.
County commissioners approved an agreement on March 7 that delegates the inspections to Winona County. They had previously been done by the Minnesota Department of Health.
The change has been discussed for about two years, and is finally getting the approval of the Minnesota Department of Health.
It applies to the regulation of food, beverage and lodging establishments; and to manufactured home parks, recreational camping areas, and youth camps.
Jill Johnson, Winona County Environmental Services Director, will be in charge of the program. The advantage of the change will be having someone local do the inspections, she said.
ìThe down sideís going to be the ones you canít work with,î fourth district commissioner Dave Corcoran said.
Johnson said there is a board that business owners can petition to if they have problems. But there are not a lot of enforcement problems, she said. ìBecause most people do want to do the right thing,î she said.
Consistency and getting used to the inspector are the keys, Corcoran said.
ìWe try to stay consistent with what the state rules or the food codes say,î Johnson said.
Winona County will have to hire an extra person for the additional work, Johnson said, but that person can also do work for Winona County because the Houston County work will not be full time. ìSo itís kind of a win-win for both of us,î she said.
The fees that Winona County charges are the same or lower than the state-established rates. No additional charge will be made to Houston County, Houston County Public Health Director Linda Grupa said.
The only additional fees to Houston would be if the County requests help with duties other than those outlined in the delegation agreement, such as public health nuisance complaint investigation, Johnson told The ARgus on March 10. Winona County would then charge an hourly rate that would be outlined in a contract with Houston County.
Public hearings will be held on the change, which will go into effect on January 1, 2007 once the application is approved. Approval is likely because the state is on record that it is willing to delegate the authority, Johnson said.
Other business
ï Dental health program: The county board approved a collaborative contract between the health department and Semcac to provide dental health services to Head Start-eligible children ages 3 and 4. The focus will be on education and preventative oral health care, county public health director Linda Grupa said. It will run from February 2006 to April 2007, with $18,825 provided for that period, and $45,000 every year after that. Darla Zahn will administer it.
ï Vehicle leasing: Commissioners approved a request from personnel director Tim Comstock to lease three or four cars from the State of Minnesota for use mainly by human services workers. This will replace mileage reimbursement to employees who have been using their own vehicles.
Each vehicle will have a five-year, 75,000 mile lease. The human services van will be sold on bids.
Comstock said leasing is more cost-effective than mileage reimbursement. He figured the cost per mile of leasing at $.326 for a Ford Focus and $.374 for a Ford Taurus. Employee reimbursement is $.445 per mile.
The leases will also keep clients out of employeesí personal vehicles, Comstock said.
ìIt just cuts down on exposure and liability,î Corcoran said.
ï Personnel changes: The board approved hiring Joan Breeser and Lois Egland as office support specialists in the human services department. They already work there, but their jobs were reclassified as a response to additional duties brought by Minnesota Senior Health Options. No one else applied for the jobs, which were posted internally, Comstock said.
ï Coroner reconciliation: The board packet included an annual summary from the Minnesota Regional Coronerís Office at Regina Medical Center in Hastings. Its staff investigated 52 deaths in Houston County, approved 32 cremations, and performed 10 postmortem exams. The county also received a refund of $4,539 from Regina because the amount paid exceeded the actual costs incurred. Houston County is paying $3,488.33 per month in 2006 to Regina.
ï Support for Sno-Pac: The board approved a letter supporting Sno-Pack Foodsí application to the USDA for a Value Added Producer Grant.
Commissioners Kevin Kelleher and Larry Graf were absent from the meeting.
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