Bigger bite in food license fees for Elgin

ELGIN -- Licensing fees for places that serve and/or sell food are set to climb next year in Elgin.

City council members unanimously moved forward a measure recently that would raise city fees to the same levels as those Kane County charges for its licenses. Those changes likely will be approved at an upcoming council session.

Through an intergovernmental agreement with Kane and Cook counties, the city has its own sanitarian, Brad Bohner, who oversees a two-person department that checks on more than 400 establishments in Elgin as part of the licensing agreement.

According to city staff, the move will generate an additional $88,000 in 2010 and an additional $162,000 in 2011, which will cover the costs of administering the food safety program. According to a staff report, the program costs the city about $186,000 a year to operate, but fees in effect now generate less than $75,000.

Some places are required to be inspected three times a year, while others just once or twice annually, and the higher annual fees for such places in part reflects that, Bohner said.

Places required to have multiple inspections may get a waiver for one of those inspections by having a certified food service manager present when food is being prepared; having a "hazard analysis critical control point" inspection/menu review; or having employees attend sessions on food sanitation.