Memorandum
Date: July 21, 2020
To: The Honorable Moke Simon, Chair, Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: District 3 Supervisor, Eddie Crandell / District 2 Supervisor, Bruno Sabatier
Subject: Discussion and Consideration of Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations
Executive Summary: (include fiscal and staffing impact narrative):
AB626 allows for a home kitchen to be utilized for a limited number of meals per week, and a limited amount of income to individuals wishing to start a home based food facility. In order to allow this to occur in Lake County, we must opt in and allow the permitting of such facilities.
Before the board is a sample of an ordinance that Riverside County, the first county to opt in, passed in May 2019. It has been a year since they began to permit home kitchen operations. After speaking with Keith Jones, the Environmental Health Director from Riverside County, his annual summary for the new program was positive.
"We currently have 52 permitted home kitchens in 19 of our cities and a couple within our unincorporated areas. We spend a great deal of time educating applicants on food safety measures while working through the review process and site inspection. Since these inspections are required to be scheduled (as opposed to unscheduled for restaurants), we must take a leap of faith that these operations are run in a safe manner throughout the year. Some of the operators needed prodding to obtain their required food safety training certification. I am not aware of any complaints nor reported foodborne illnesses so far. "
A few weeks ago, a group interested in utilizing AB626 presented to the board. There is interest in the community for this. In addition, as the state closes up indoor dining for our restaurants, opting in could provide an option for restaurants without the luxury of outdoor dining to keep their businesses running via a permit where meals can be prepped, cooked, and packaged at home.
While there is no cost...
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