ORD CC 02/06/79 - Defining health inspections terms--'.r
1 -.
ORDINANCE NO. 77 -2.
An ordinance defining food, potentially hazardous food, food
service establishment, temporary food service establishment, re-
gulatory authority, utensils, equipment, etc; providing for the
sale of only sound, properly labeled food; regulating the sources
of food; establishing sanitation standards for food, food protection,
food service personnel, food service operations, food equipment and
utensils, sanitary facilities and controls, and other facilities;
requiring permits for the operation of food service establishments;
regulating the inspection of such establishment; providing for the
examination and condemnation of food; providing for incorporation by
reference of the Texas Department of Health, Division of Food and
Drugs "Rules on Food Service Sanitation 301.73.11.001 - .011 "; and
providing for the enforcement of this ordinance, and the fixing of
penalties.
BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the municipality of
Huntsville, Texas, as follows:
Section 1. The definitions; the inspection of food service
establishment; the issuance, suspension and revocation of permits
to operate food service establishments; the prohibiting of the sale
of unsound or mislabeled food or drink; and the enforcement of this
ordinance shall be regulated in accordance with the Texas Department
of Health, Division of Food and Drugs "Rules on Food Service Sanitation
301.73.11.001-411", three certified copies of which shall be on file
in the office of the municipal clerk: Provided, that the words
"municipality of Huntsville, Texas" in said ordinance shall be under-
stood to refer to Huntsville of Walker County, Texas and the words
"regulatory authority" shall be understood to refer to the State of
Texas and /or the Municipality of Huntsville, Texas.
Section 2. Violations of the Rules on Food Service Sanitation
are subject to the penalties and remedies listed in the Compliance
Procedures (Attachment A).
COMPLIANCE PROCEDURES
(a) Permits, Licenses, or Certificates
(1) General. No person shall operate a food service establishment
who does not have a valid permit, license, or certificate
issued to him by the regulatory authority. Only a person who
complies with the requirements of these rules shall be entitled
to receive or retain such a permit, license, or certificate.
Permits, licenses, or certificates are not transferrable. A
valid permit, license, or certificate shall be posted in
every food service establishment.
35
(2) Issuance of Permit, License, or Certificate.
(A) Any person desiring to Aerate a food service
establishment shall make written application for a
permit, license, or certificate, on forms provided
by the regulatory authority. Such application shall
include the name and address of each applicant, the
location and type of the proposed food service
establishment, and the signature of each applicant.
Any person who wishes to deal in a retail food store
inside a food service establishment must apply for
a separate permit for that section of his business.
(B) Prior to approval of an application for a permit,
license, or certificate the regulatory authority
shall inspect the proposed food service establishment
to determine compliance with the requirements of these
rules.
(C) The regulatory authority shall issue a permit, license
or certificate to the applicant if its inspection
reveals that the proposed food service establishment
complies with the requirements of these rules.
(3) Suspension of Permit, License,or Certificate.
(A) The regulatory authority may, without warning, notice,
or hearing suspend any permit, license, or certificate
to operate a food service establishment if the holder
of the permit, license, or certificate does not comply
with the requirements of these rules, or if the
operation of the establishment does not comply with the
requirements of these rules, or if the operation of the
food service establishment otherwise constitutes a
substantial hazard to public health. Suspension is
effective upon service of the notice required by Paragraph
(3) (B) of Subsection (a) of this rule. When a permit,
license, or certificate is suspended, food service
operations shall immediately cease. Whenever a permit,
license or certificate is suspended, the holder of the
permit, license, or certificate shall be afforded an
opportunity for a hearing within 20 days of receipt of
a request for a hearing.
-2-
(B) Whenever a permit, license, or certificate is suspended,
the holder of the permit, license, or certificate, or
the person in charge shall be notified in writing that
the permit, license, or certificate is, upon service of
the notice, immediately suspended and that an opportunity
for a hearing will be provided if a written request for
a hearing is filed with the regulatory authority by the
holder of the permit, license, or certificate within ten
days. If no written request for hearing is filed within
ten days, the suspension is sustained. The regulatory
authority may end the suspension at any time if reasons
for suspension no longer exist.
(4) Revocation of Permit, License, or Certificate. The regulatory
authority may, after providing opportunity for a hearing, revoke
a permit, license, or certificate for serious or repeated viola-
tions of any of the requirements of these rules or for interfer-
ence with the regulatory authority in the performance of its
duties. Prior to revocation, the regulatory authority shall
notify the holder of the permit, license, or certificate, or
the person in charge, in writing of the reason for which the
permit, license, or certificate is subject to revocation and
that the permit, license, or certificate shall be revoked at the
end of the ten days following service of such notice unless a
written request for a hearing is filed with the regulatory
authority by the holder of the permit, license, or certificate
within such ten day period. If no request, for hearing, is filed
within ten days, the revocation of the permit, license, or
certificate becomes final.
(5) Service of Notices. A notice provided for in these rules is
properly served when it is delivered to the holder of the permit,
license, or certificate, or the person in charge, or when it is
sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested,
to the last known address of the holder of the permit, license,
or certificate. A copy of the notice shall be filed in the
records of the regulatory authority.
(6) Hearings. The hearings provided for in these rules shall be
conducted by the regulatory authority at a time and place desig-
nated by it. Based upon the recorded evidence of such hearing,
the regulatory authority shall make a final finding, and shall
sustain, modify or rescind any notice or order considered in the
hearing. A written report of the hearing decision shall be fur-
nished to the holder of the permit, license, or certificate by
the regulatory authority.
-3-
(7) Application after Revocation. Whenever a revocation of a
permit, license, or certificate has become final, the holder
of the revoked permit, license, or certificate may make
written application for a new permit, license, or certificate.
(b) Inspections
(1) Inspection Frequency.An inspection of a food service
establishment shall be performed at least once every
three months. Additional inspections of the food service
establishments shall be performed as often as are nec-
cessary for the enforcement of these rules.
(2) Access. Agents of the regulatory authority, after proper
identification, shall be permitted to enter any food
service establishment at any reasonable time, for the
purpose of making inspections to determine compliance
with these rules. The agents shall be permitted to
examine the records of the establishments to obtain
information pertaining to food and supplies purchased,
received, or used, or to persons employed.
(3) Report of Inspections. Whenever an inspection of a food
service establishment or commissary is made, the findings
shall be recorded on the inspection report form set out
in Paragraph (5) of Subsection (b) of this rule. The
inspection report form shall summarize the requirements of
these rules and shall set forth a weighted point value
for each requirement. Inspectional remarks shall be
written to reference, by section number, the section
violated and shall state the correction to be made. The
rating score of the establishment shall be the total of
the weighted point values for all violations, subtracted
from 100. A copy of the inspection report form shall be
furnished to the person in charge of the establishment
at the conclusion of the inspection. The completed in-
spection report form is a public document that shall be
made available for public disclosure to any person who
requests it according to law.
(4) Correction of Violations.
(A) The inspection report form shall specify a reason-
able period of time for the correction of the vio-
lations found, and correction of the violations shall
be accomplished within the period specified, in acc-
ordance with the following provisions:
(i; If an imminent health hazard exists, such as
complete lack of refrigeration or sewage backup
into the establishment, the establishment shall
immediately cease food service operations.
-4-
Operations shall not be resumed until
authorized by the regulatory authority.
(ii) All violations of 4 -or 5 -point weighted items
shall be corrected as soon as possible, but
in any event, within 10 days following in-
spection, the holder of the permit, license,
or certificate shall submit a written report
to the regulatory authority stating that the
4 -or 5 -point violations have been corrected.
A follow -up inspection shall be conducted to
confirm correction.
(iii) All 1 -or 2 -point weighted items shall be
corrected as soon as possible, but in any event,
by the time of the next routine inspection.
(iv) When rating score of the establishment is less
than 60, the establishment shall initiate
corrective action on all identified violations
within 48 hours. One or more reinspections
will be conducted at reasonable time intervals
to assure correction.
(v) In the case of temporary food service establish-
ments, all violations shall be corrected with-
in 24 hours. If violations are not corrected
within 24 hours, the establishment shall
immediately cease food service operations until
authorized to resume by the regulatory authority.
(B) The inspection report shall state that failure to comply
with any time limits for corrections may result in
cessation of food service operations. An opportunity for
appeal from the inspection findings and time limitations
will be provided if a written request for hearing is
filed with the regulatory authority within ten days
following cessation of operations. If a request for a
hearing is received, a hearing shall be held within 20
days of receipt of that request.
(C) Whenever a food service establishment is required under
the provisions of this rule to cease operations, it shall
not resume operations until such time as a reinspection
determines that conditions responsible for the require-
ment to cease operations no longer exists. Opportunity
for reinspection shall be offered within a reasonable
time.
-5-
(5) Inspection Report Form.
An inspection report form based on the requirements of
these rules is appended.
(c) Examination and Condemnation of Food
(1) General. Food may be examined or sampled by the regulatory
authority as often as necessary for enforcement of these
rules. The regulatory authority may, upon written notice
to the owner or person in charge specifying with part-
icularity the reasons therefor,place a hold order on any
food which it believe is in violation of Subsection (a)
of rule .003. or any other provision of these rules.The
regulatory authority shall tag, label, or otherwise
identify any food subject to the hold order. No food
subject to a hold order shall be used, served, or removed
from the establishment. The regulatory authority shall
permit storage of the food under conditions specified
in the hold order, unless storage is not possible with-
out risk to the public health, in which case immediate
destruction shall be ordered and accomplished. The hold
order shall state that a request for hearing may be filed
within ten days and that if no hearing is requested the
food shall be destroyed. A hearing shall be held if so
requested, and on the basis of evidence produced at that
hearing, the hold order may be vacated, or the owner or
person in charge of the food may be directed by written
order to denature or destroy such food or to bring it
into compliance with the provisions of these rules.
(d) Review of Plans
(1) Submission of Plans. Whenever a food service establishment
is constructed or extensively remodeled and whenever an
existing structure is converted to use as a ood service
establishment, properly prepared plans and specifications
for such construction, remodeling, or conversion shall be
submitted to the regulatory authority for review and
approval before construction, remodeling or conversion is
begun. The plans and specifications shall indicate the
proposed layout, arrangement, mechanical plans, and
construction materials of work areas, and the type and model
of proposed fixed equipment and facilities. The regulatory
authority shall approve the plans and specifications if they
meet the requirements of these rules. No food service
establishment shall be constructed, extensively remodeled,
or converted except in accordance with plans and specifi-
cations approved by the regulatory authority.
-6-
Y
1
(2) Pre - operational Inspection.Whenever plans and specifi-
cations are required by Paragraph (1) of Subsection (d)
of this rule to be submitted to the regulatory authority,
the regulatory authority shall inspect the food service
establishment prior to its beginning operation to determine
compliance with the approved plans and specifications and
with the requirements of these rules.
(e) Procedure When Infection is Suspected. When the regulatory
authority has reasonable cause to suspect the possibility of
disease transmission from any food service establishment
employee, it may secure morbidity history of the suspected
employee or make any other investigation as may be indicated
and shall take appropriate action. The regulatory authority may
require any or all of the following measures:
(1) The immediate exclusion of the employee from all food
service establishments;
(2) The immediate closing of the food service establishment
concerned until, in the opinion of the regulatory authority,
no further danger of disease outbreak exists;
(3) Restriction of the employee's service to some area of the
establishment where there would be no danger of transmitting
disease;
(4) Adequate medical and laboratory examination of the employee,
of other employees and of his and their body discharges.
(f) Remedies
(1) Penalties. Any person who violates a provision of these
rules and any person who is the permit holder of or other-
wise operates a food service establishment that does not
comply with the requirements of these rules and any respon-
sible officer of that permit holder or those persons shall
be fined not more than two hundred dollars.
(2) Injunctions. The regulatory authority may seek to enjoin
violations of these rules.
(3) Repeal and Date of Effect. These rules shall be in full
force and effect months after their adoption and
publication as prov— d U by law; and, at that time, all
ordinances and parts of ordinances in conflict with these
rules are hereby repealed.
-7 -
(4) Unconstitutionality Clause. Should any section,
paragraph, sentence, clause, or phrase of these rules
be declared unconstitutional or invalid for any reason,
the remainder of said rules shall not be affected thereby.
ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS,
AT ITS REGULAR MEETING ON THE 6,7k, DAY OF FEBRUARY, 1979.
DeSHAW, CI
APPROVED AS ;FO FORM:
JAC
TTbRNE-Y
MORRIS I. WALLER, MAYOR
-8-