Why is there an increase in my annual environmental health permit fee?
Permit fees were adjusted to cover the cost of the inspections provided. The cost includes the time to conduct an inspection, as well as the number of times per year a facility is inspected.
Were permit holders notified of the proposed increase?
Notification regarding the proposed fee changes was posted on the Yolo County website and facilities that have provided email contact information received email notification. Postal mail was not sent to every permitted facility due to the cost of mailing. If you have a permitted business and would like to be added on the email list-serv, please contact Environmental Health with your email address and request that your email address be added to your facility contact information.
How were fees determined?
The Environmental Health works with the Auditor/Controller’s office and Chief Administrator’s Office to complete a comprehensive study to determine the actual costs to perform each service. In some cases a consultant is used to assist with the time, task, and/or cost analysis. These fees were submitted to and approved by the Board of Supervisors.
Why doesn’t the Department cut costs instead of raising our fees?
The Environmental Health Division is increasing existing fees only to the extent necessary to offset actual costs and is working to identify further cost reduction efficiencies.
Do fees increase every year?
No. Each fee is evaluated annually and adjusted appropriately. This may result in no change to the fee, an increase to the fee, or potentially a decrease.
The inspector was only at my business for an hour, but my fee is several hundred dollars. Why does it cost so much?
The frequency of inspections depends on the environmental health program. Depending on the program, inspectors may conduct inspections between once every three years or up to two times a year. The cost of the fee covers time spent by the inspector before an inspection, such as file review, travel time to the facility, onsite inspection time, time to write the inspection report and investigation paperwork, and time spent after the inspection for updating records. Additional time is spent generally in each program for program development, such as developing handouts, webpage development, training, etc. Therefore, even though the inspector is physically at your facility for a limited amount of time, additional time is spent performing the work offsite away from your business.
Are there things I can do to lower my bill?
Regulated businesses will receive additional fees, fines, and/or penalties for code violations, especially if it requires additional inspections or enforcement action. The best thing businesses can do to keep their bill as low as possible is to remain fully in compliance. To understand how to operate your business fully in compliance, please contact our office and ask to speak to your assigned inspector.
