Meetings were held this summer with Dennis Propes, county health commissioner, about the complaints, said Charlotte Colley, the county commissioners’ administrator.
“The complaints were mainly about the amount of time inspections or plan reviews were taking, the multiple reviews/fees for things that maybe could have been commented on all at the same time, and the different inspectors and somewhat subjective comments that were being provided to establishments,” Colley said.
Troy started hearing concerns earlier this year, said Patrick Titterington, the city service and safety director.
Negative feedback was being received on the quality of the health inspections. The comments were from building owners and restaurants who were in the process of building out and opening.
“Their primary inspector was requiring modifications that were above and beyond the minimum requirements, which were delaying approvals and project deadlines. There were alleged inappropriate comments,” Titterington said.
Propes, who met with commissioners Dec. 22, said the department ran into issues seen by many organizations coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, including staffing.
All food inspectors except the supervisor had less than two years on the job, and there was one plumbing inspector position vacant, causing a backlog of work and approvals for some plans, he said.
The inspection staff now is full, with training going well, Propes said. Inspectors also are doing a thorough review and providing establishment operators full reports instead of asking for items to be done piecemeal, causing delays. Any time there is a disapproval by an inspector, it is automatically reviewed by the supervisor to make sure decisions/orders are consistent.
“We will get more of a working relationship with our restaurants versus a feeling of how many violations can be found,” Propes said. “Also, we would have three people on some inspections. Some (operators) felt we were picking on them while we were actually training.”
Issues also were caused by state regulations, such as how inspectors were tested. Steps have been taken through the state legislature to address those more widespread concerns, Propes said.
More positive feedback is being heard, said Titterington and Commissioner Wade Westfall.
Changes the last few months “have resulted in consistency, equity and speed in the permitting/inspecting process,” Titterington said. “I’m very happy with those changes and the feedback I’ve gotten from developers and restaurants has been largely positive so far.”
The commissioners are pleased that the parties are working together on improving the permitting process, Westfall said. The commissioners have received feedback that “has been positive and greatly appreciated,” he said.
Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com
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