Food providers in King County may be facing large permit increases, which have the Seattle Farmers Market Association (organizers of the Ballard, Madrona and Wallingford farmers markets) and other groups very concerned that many small farmers and food processors will stop participating in King County farmers markets.
Department of Environmental Health Services at Public Health – Seattle and King County submitted a proposal to the King County Board of Health in late September to increase health risk permit fees for 2015.
James Apa Communications Manager for Public Health - Seattle & King County said, “Public Health’s goal is that all people can enjoy farmers markets and feel confident that the food they buy there is safe. Our work at the markets over the past few years has dramatically reduced the number of food safety violations, which is great for people’s health. It benefits farmers markets when public trust is high that the food they sell is safe.”
Permits and licensing programs slated for increases include food and facilities, Onsite Septic Systems (OSS), pet businesses, solid waste, pool/water recreation, temporary events and Farmers Markets.
Farmers Markets vendors like processors and mobile food vendors (temporary food classification) currently pay $281 per market and the proposed fee would be $400 (42 percent increase).
Vendors are not the only one’s seeing an increase. Farmers market coordinators themselves will see an increase. They currently pay $502 per market and fees are proposed to increase to $1,162 per market (131 percent increase).
“We charge permit fees based on how much time our inspectors spend at each type of food facility. In our recent review, we found that we spend more time at farmers markets than at some other kinds of food businesses, so the cost of providing the service is actually higher than what we charge now. …We know that the fees seem too high -- so our next step is to gather feedback vendors and the public on these proposed fees and come up with solution to hold the costs down or another way to subsidize the fees,” said Apa.
The SFMA predicts result of the proposed fees will mean the loss of vendors with quality foods, poultry and eggs at many smaller markets, and could lead to the closure of some farmers markets in the county.
So why the increases?
Overall the Food and Facilities Program budget for 2015 has an increase of 11 percent from the 2014 budget.
The King County Council and King County Executive, all permit programs set a rule that the County must raise enough revenues through fees to support the whole program.
Permits and licensing fees collected from these sectors covers operational costs for Public Health. They calculate permit fees based on a review of costs/time it takes to perform the permit related services such as inspection, public announcement, code development and investigations, as well as overhead costs such as capital and administration costs.
The last time there was a fee increase for farmers markets was in 2012 when vendor applicants paid $255 per market, jumping to the current $281. Public Health opted to not raise fees the past two years while the economy was recovering and efficiencies to their operations reduced costs.
According to the King County Public Health website these costs include a “rainy day fund,” and reserve funds that pay for things like equipment replacement, software and inspection reports.
In addition, the rise in cost is due to the addition of two new inspectors to cover increased workload due to increases in the number of permits issued as well as increases in the number of complaint investigations, inspections, and educational visits. Other cost increases outside of general cost of living increases include technology enhancements and increases in foodborne illness investigations costs.
The proposal is currently in the public comment phase until December 10 and set to go before the Board of Health for adoption later that month.
What are alternatives to fee increases?
“The fee jump was just something everybody ate in 2012 and so when they come out with this fee going up by almost 200 percent there are a lot of people saying it’s going to kill business in King County,” said Judy Kirkhuff, Market Master with SFMA.
Kirkhuff has been attending the public meetings the past week and said that one way PH could create efficiencies is by changing their application process.
Currently farmers market vendors have to fill out an application for each market they plan to attend. Each application is treated independently even though the vendors are selling the same products. Kirkhuff thinks that a universal application process could be used where one applicant fills out one application and indicates which markets they plan to vend at. This would mean fewer applications, and would change costs especially because PH cites “the addition of two new inspectors to cover increased workload due to increases in the number of permits issued,” as a reason for the fee increase.
The SFMA also believes that farmers markets should not have such dramatic increases because they have not had any instances of foodborne illnesses. A recent PH reports that there have never been any instances of foodborne illnesses resulting from farmers markets vendors in King County, despite growth in recent years. The report also documents a decrease in PH violations for farmers market vendors
Moreover, the SFMA feels that the fee hikes will work against initiatives that PH has already declared priorities; especially those of increasing access to local, organic produce for low-income individuals.
“It is difficult to understand the justification for this proposal. This is in direct contrast to the County’s policy to support farmers markets as a critical part of King County Food Policy. It is also contrary to other programs funded by Public Health that focus on increasing use of farmers markets by low-income families to improve their diets.”
Who will the fees affect most?
“It’s important to know that these increased fees are not about changing the costs for people who sell produce (most of whom don’t even need permits). This is mainly impacting the food stalls and market coordinators,” said Apa.
It’s true that the County cannot obstruct a farmer from selling produce but they certainly regulate processors and mobile stands.
However, Kirkhuff said that those vendors make up the diversity of the market and is an extra allure for customers to come enjoy that market as a whole. She says by driving up fees PH will stifle the diversity and resulting in fewer customers.
Sam Lucchese, of Pasteria Lucchese, is a vendor that makes handmade pasta and sells at six markets in King County. Lucchese lives in Ballard and makes his pasta from a commercial kitchen converted from his garage.
If the proposed market fees pass, Lucchese will pay $400 per market permit on top of any fees that farmers market charges every market. PH market coordinator fees will more than double and therefore costs per market would more than likely go up.
Lucchese said that the fees are going to hurt vendors the most and that once there are fewer vendors at fewer markets, customers will stop coming.
“It’s a drama for sure. For the farmers and vendors this is their job, their livelihood -- how they make their living. The fees are a real problem for us,” said Lucchese.
“I’ve spoken with many vendors and everybody has said they will shorten up their markets for next season if the fees go up. Instead of going to many markets they will go to maybe four or five.”
“Once the vendors stop coming and other good foods, people will stop coming and then the vendors will stop coming and then the markets will not exist. They will turn into more craft markets and lose the food aspect,” said Kirkhuff.
The County says they are eager to hear from the public to find better ways to serve the community without hurting the vitality of farmers markets.
Check the Ballard News-Tribune for updates as this story progresses.
