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Regular Agenda Item 3. C.

Regular BOS Meeting

Meeting Date:	11/03/2020
Submitted For:	Michael O'Driscoll	Submitted By:	Josh Beck, EM/PHEP Manager
Department:	Health & Emergency Management	Division:	Health Services

Information

Request/Subject

A request of a 25% Fee Reduction Request for the Environmental Health annual establishment permits for businesses directly affected by the Governor's COVID-19 benchmark operational restrictions.

Background Information

The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has had an effect on everyone in Gila County, but the precautions taken to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the State of Arizona have particularly hit Gila County licensed food and beverage businesses hard. The Arizona Department of Health Services benchmarks for reopening, standards for service, and capacity restrictions have kept many of the businesses permitted by the Gila County Health Division from opening, or if opened from operating at full capacity.

The Gila County Health Division received a grant from the Arizona Department of Health Services for $25,000 to continue compliance inspections with the COVID-19 benchmarks for licensed establishments. The yearly revenue on Gila County permit fees was $89,804.49 in 2020 and $89,317.33 in 2019. The additional funding will allow the Health Division to transfer staff salary to the new grant funding freeing up $25,000 of the Environmental Health budget that the Director would like to see applied as a 25% fee discount to establishments directly impacted by the COVID-19 Executive Orders. This reduction in revenue will be 100% offset by the additional grant funding keeping the budget balanced for the fiscal year. The reduced revenue will be approximately $20,000.

Evaluation

As the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the precautionary Executive Orders put in place by Arizona Governor Ducey that created reopening benchmarks, rules, and capacity guidelines, many Gila County establishments permitted by the Environmental Health Division have faced many challenges in operating their establishments. By diverting Environmental Health Specialist staff salaries to the $25,000 grant funds awarded by the Arizona Department of Health Services, and approved by the Gila County Board of Supervisors for COVID-19 establishment compliance inspections, the Gila County Health Division can maintain a balanced 2021 budget and provide a 25% reduction in fees for businesses directly affected by the Governor's COVID-19 benchmarks and operational restrictions. These funds can hopefully be used to offset some of the COVID-19 expenditures that our Gila County establishments have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion

Based on the above-listed reasons, the Gila County Public Health Division respectfully requests that the annual fees for the calendar year 2021 Environmental Health permits for businesses directly affected by the Governor's COVID-19 benchmark operational restrictions be reduced by 25%.

Recommendation

It is the recommendation of the Gila County Public Health Department that the annual fees for the calendar year 2021 Environmental Health permits for businesses directly affected by the Governor's COVID-19 benchmark operational restrictions, be reduced by 25%.

Suggested Motion

Information/Discussion/Action to approve a request submitted by the Gila County Public Health Department that the annual fees for the calendar year 2021 Environmental Health permits for businesses directly affected by the Governor's COVID-19 benchmark operational restrictions be reduced by 25%. (Michael O'Driscoll)

Attachments
Health and Emergency Services Department Fee Schedule