Iowa Get Ready for Fewer Restaurant Inspections
by Paul DeatonFour months into the Branstad administration, the character of our government is beginning to reveal itself. Blog for Iowa covered Iowa Department of Public Health Director Dr. Mariannette Miller Meeks previously and gave her the benefit of a doubt. Now, other departments are taking actions that can be reviewed.
When Rod Roberts was confirmed as Director of Inspections and Appeals (DIA) on February 18 in a 49-0 vote by the Iowa Senate, the appointment was seen as political payback for the former gubernatorial candidate and state legislator. In making his selection, Governor Branstad said Roberts “has a unique ability to work with individuals of all backgrounds and political persuasion, and has a great reputation throughout the entire state. This ability will serve him well in this new role as he will deliver a strict, but fair, style in this department.” Early on, Roberts' negated the “strict” part of the Governor's assessment.
One of the first actions Roberts took was to change the way restaurants are inspected in Iowa. Last year, the State Auditor found the DIA to be out of compliance with Iowa Code in the conduct of required inspections: not enough inspections were being completed. Seeking to resolve the deficiencies, Roberts moved the state to “risk-based restaurant inspections.” This system could reduce the total number of inspections per year, thus keeping the expense more in line with current fees schedules. When Governor Branstad took office in January, he took raising fees schedules off the table, so reducing the number of inspections seemed the only option.
Are less restaurant inspections a good or a bad thing?
Food Safety News, quoted Eric Bradley, president of the Environmental Health Association, “It is my fear that these requirements will slowly change to once in a 24-month period or once in a 12-month period. This is what is going on in many of the counties that use the current risk-based schedule. This is too much time between inspections to ensure food safety.”
On March 24, 2011, the Johnson County Board of Health considered the matter and concluded that they disagreed with DIA on restaurant inspections. Following is the entry from the approved meeting minutes:
Here is the problem. One of the key elements of making effective change is to get buy-in from stake holders. When Roberts implemented a risk-based restaurant inspection process, he did not have buy in from the Iowa Environmental Health Association or from the Board of Health in the county that has the highest number of licensed health professionals. Failure to get buy in, and allowing counties to opt out of the new process, shows a lack of discipline. In this example, it may create risk to public health.
Either risk-based restaurant inspections are adequate or they are not. If they are adequate, then the state should uniformly implement the process, disabling the opt-out option. If risk-based inspections are not adequate to protect the public health, then someone should call the DIA out on this and insist upon compliance with Iowa Code, which may mean more money be appropriated to cover the inspections.
For those of us who follow public health, the Iowa Government's pattern of cutting expenses by reducing inspections is not new. What is surprising is that by not requiring compliance with the new process, the state reduces the potential savings of the program. This raises the question: why make the change in the first place? Grade of C- to Rod Roberts and the Republicans on this one.
~Paul Deaton is a native Iowan living in rural Johnson County. E-mail Paul Deaton
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