SNHD 38% Proposed Fee Increase

The Southern Nevada District Board of Health (BOH) will conduct a public hearing on Thursday, May 24, 2007 at 9 a.m. during its regular monthly meeting in the Clemens Room at the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) Ravenholt Public Health Center, 625 Shadow Lane, Las Vegas, Nevada to take testimony and consider the adoption of the proposed Environmental Health Division Permit and Plan Review Fee Schedule. PDF (60 KB/5 pages)

Environmental Health Division permit and plan review fees were last approved three and a half years ago in 2003. Since that time, the number of facilities in restaurant, family/child care, solid waste, public accommodations, school, swimming pool, and other Environmental Health programs continues to experience tremendous growth. In order to provide essential and necessary services to the Clark County public, tourist industry and to the regulated community, the SNHD Environmental Health Division is proposing to change the existing fee schedule.

Copies of the proposed Environmental Health Division Permit and Plan Review Fee Schedule PDF (60 KB/5 pages) can be downloaded or are available for review at the Southern Nevada Health District Ravenholt Public Health Center, Wing One Environmental Health Division, 625 Shadow Lane, Las Vegas. If there are special viewing needs, call Beth Fitzgerald at (702) 759-0589 for assistance.

Interested persons may appear at the public hearing and present their views regarding the fee schedule. Written comments to be considered by the BOH must be forwarded by May 10, 2007 to:

Southern Nevada Health District
Attention Glenn D. Savage, Environmental Health Director
P.O. Box 3902
Las Vegas, NV 89127

Prior to the above public hearing at the BOH Meeting on May 24, 2007, there will be three workshops for the public to present its views on the proposed Environmental Health Division Fee Schedule:

Tuesday, May 1, 2007 at 10 a.m.
Regional Government Center
Rooms 1 and 2
101 Civic Way
Laughlin

Wednesday, May 2, 2007 at 10 a.m.
Mesquite City Hall
Training Rooms A & B (upstairs)
10 East Mesquite Blvd
Mesquite

Friday, May 4, 2007 at 2 p.m.
Southern Nevada Health District
Ravenholt Public Health Center, Clemens Room
625 Shadow Lane
Las Vegas

Comments

[Kathy De Patta]

My permits here at my kitchen I guess I can live with.

I do have a concern on the temporary permits, and farmers markets. The temporary permit is $126.00 for a 1-5 day event. I am asked on many occasions to cater concessions at large one day venues (Earth Fair in Summerlin, the Ice Cream Festival for example) I am also asked to cater concessions for smaller venues, where the chances of making $500-$600.00 are slim at best, so I turn them down. People do cater those concessions, and they don't get permits. If you look at the activities in the newspaper on any Friday, there are tons of activities going on, all of them have venders selling food. If the Health Department spent more time monitoring unpermitted concessions I guess I'd feel better about the Health Department in general. But right now they have their nose into everyone who has a license and I don't feel they monitor unlicensed venues.

When we first went into business in 1991, my catering license covered any event where I was selling food off site. Now it's $126.00 for each temporary permit. What's the difference when I go to a large event and I have a customer who is paying for all of the food that I give to the general public for free? I don't get inspected for those events because they are covered by my license. It doesn't make much sense, but I've given up trying to figure out the Health Department a long time ago.

[Gene Pittz]

If the Health Department needs to increase fees, it should be done on the fee for failed inspections. Restaurants should not be penalized if they are in compliance with the Food Code.
I would like to know where the Health Dept. was during the San Gennaro Feast. The were no hand washing facilities and food service workers were handling money, then food - without washing their hands. I would not be surprised if we hear about a Norovirus outbreak there.

[Paymon]

What does it take to wake us up?

The minimum wage hike that will now continue to go up with no mechanism to stop it.

Gift certificate proposal, which after three years if its not used, should be turn over to state and we should keep the records for them.

Gas hike and electricity hike.

And now a hike from health district. Do you know how many more salads you need to sell to cover these costs?

And all this in just the past few months, and god only knows what else is planned for restaurants which could put some of us out of business.

What does it take to voice our opinion and bring us together as an industry so we can stand up for what hurts us and our team and our customers?

Our industry continues to be under attack and we just seem to watch?

If we don’t get involve now, we will be a victim of our own negligent.

That’s all.

[Todd McMillan]

I don’t think we should take the approach that we have been hit with minimum wage cost increases, back door cost increases due to fuel prices, etc. etc. I don’t believe they could give a damn about that! I think they are going to get their increase-is there a way that they would be willing to operate with more transparency? How are we, as taxpayers, going to hold them accountable for the extra investment? Also, the one question that everyone should ask is, “Will this increase make our food supply safer?” And if the results don’t back that up, are they willing to rebate us back the increase that we paid?

Just some thoughts..

[Jim Rees]

My comments would agree with the above regarding holding those that fail inspections responsible for higher fees and reinspection costs. This accomplishes two things in that it increases revenue and it encourages safer practices which is good for the industry.

[Mike Powell]

Where would I start?? We have seen and will continue to see huge increases in the cost of doing business from all corners, be it food cost, labor, insurance, rent, construction, etc., etc. Our restaurants, which used to breakeven 7-8 years ago at give or take $21,000/month, now are running closer to $32,000/month and as you are aware, we have been forced to pass on prospective locations recently simply because the costs do not justify the investment.

You may wish to verify this, but John Larsen has told me that "taxable sales" in Vegas have fallen the last several months. That means total sales, (even with the new restaurants, hotels, casinos), have fallen and that is not a good sign. The economy in Vegas is off and in my opinion now is the wrong time to take any increase. You may also be aware that many of our markets have taken menu price increases recently to help offset some of these costs increases. The one market we have not done so is Vegas because our business if soft and we don't want to make matters worse. Point being we have made efforts in Vegas to do our part in "reining in the continued escalation of costs" by holding back on menu prices. It would certainly make sense if others would do so as well.

Finally - how are they justifying a 38% jump? Has anyone seen reasons for this, such as corresponding increases in their cost of doing business? What options do we have to oppose such a move?

Mike

[Virgin Network Codes]

I should email my friend about your post.

[invertir forex]

Great to see a collection of blog posts that includes thoughtful and perceptive commentary. Keep up the great work!!!