Comprehensive legislative package addresses concerns of restaurateurs, advocates and experts to ensure that the system is fair, efficient, consistent and accountable<\/p>\n
New York, NY \u2013 Today, Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn was joined by Council Members Arroyo, Brewer, Reyna, Williams, Comrie, Gentile, Greenfield, Koo, Nelson and Van Bramer to announce a legislative package designed to improve the City\u2019s restaurant inspection program while continuing to protect the health and safety of New Yorkers. The officials made the announcement at Jerry\u2019s Caf\u00e9 on Chambers Street in Manhattan and were joined by General and Legislative Counsel of NYC Hospitality Alliance Robert Bookman, Executive Director of NYC Hospitality Alliance Andrew Rigie and Jerry\u2019s Caf\u00e9 owner Leonard de Knegt. <\/p>\n
In 2010, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) introduced a letter grading system with the worthy goals of assisting the public to make informed decisions about where to dine, improving restaurant compliance with health and safety regulations, and reducing food-borne illnesses attributable to restaurants. Since the introduction of letter grading, however \u2013 which caused an increase in the frequency of inspections \u2013 restaurants raised concerns about the system to the Speaker and Council Members in meetings and at forums, through the Council\u2019s citywide Restaurant Inspection Survey and during a March 2012 oversight hearing of the DOHMH. Principal among the issues raised by restaurateurs, advocates and experts were the increased fine burden on restaurants since the introduction of the letter grading system, inconsistencies across inspections and frayed and adversarial relations between DOHMH and restaurants.<\/p>\n
Specifically, this new legislative package will address many of these concerns and result in:<\/p>\n
Across the board fine reductions;
\nFine waiver for restaurant owners\/operators who contest an initial inspection\u2019s findings at the Administrative Tribunal and ultimately receive an A;
\nThe opportunity for restaurant owners\/operators to request a consultative and ungraded inspection for educational purposes;
\nEstablishment of an ombuds office to receive and address comments, complaints and compliments;
\nDevelopment of an inspection code of conduct pamphlet that inspectors will distribute to all restaurant owners\/operators prior to the beginning of an initial inspection;
\nCreation of an advisory board to ensure ongoing and systemic review of the restaurant inspection program;
\nIncreased and improved reporting of restaurant inspection data; and
\nRelief from violations relating to the physical layout or structure of a restaurant
\n\u201cWith this package, we\u2019re taking steps to ensure that the restaurant inspection process is fair. The bills improve the lot of struggling restaurant owners while preserving a system that is valuable to \u2013 and more importantly protects the safety of \u2013 New Yorkers,\u201d said Speaker Quinn. \u201cThe restaurant industry, with its foundation of small businesses, is the lifeblood of New York City and our legislation includes important measures so that restaurants can continue to thrive without jeopardizing public health.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have an obligation to both protect the public\u2019s health and also to protect small business owners from the burden of unfair fines,\u201d said Health Committee Chair Maria del Carmen Arroyo. \u201cThis legislative package achieves both of those goals. Through our Restaurant Inspection Survey and our oversight hearing, we were able to analyze problems with the restaurant inspection program and develop reasonable and fair solutions. I want to thank Speaker Quinn and my Council colleagues for working collaboratively on behalf of all New Yorkers on this important issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a package of common-sense bills to help small businesses while still protecting the public’s health in New York City,\u201d said Government Operations Committee Chair Gale A. Brewer. \u201cWe have worked with all concerned parties in an effort to improve the restaurant inspection system, which serves the public good, without harming the financial viability of the city’s restaurants or unfairly stigmatizing them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSmall businesses are the backbone of our economy and assets to the communities they serve,\u201d said Small Business Chair Diana Reyna. \u201cThis comprehensive legislative package ensures the city will work with small business owners to help keep them succeeding and boost our economy while keeping restaurants clean and safe for customers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur small businesses deserve a fair playing field that allows the well-intentioned a chance to succeed and add to the richness of the community in which they operate. This legislation allows us to enhance the sanitary conditions of this city\u2019s restaurants while ensuring that the DOHMH\u2019s evaluation process is fair and consistent across the board,\u201d said Oversight and Investigations Chair Jumaane Williams.<\/p>\n
\u201cStakeholders have been quite vocal about the inconsistencies and costs of the current restaurant inspection system. The City Council has made a concerted effort with this legislation to guarantee that eateries are regulated in a safe, sensible and effective manner,\u201d said Council Member Leroy Comrie.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can protect public health without harming businesses, and this legislation will do just that,\u201d said Council Member David Greenfield. \u201cI look forward to seeing a more fair and consistent restaurant inspection system in place as a result of the Council\u2019s work.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe restaurant inspection process is vital to ensuring that all of our city\u2019s restaurants adequately meet health and safety standards,\u201d said Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer. \u201cThe legislative initiatives that both Speaker Quinn and the New York City Council have developed seek to strengthen and improve this program. It is our hope that this package of legislation will create a fairer inspection system that balances the needs of our city\u2019s small business owners while meeting the requirements of the Department of Health.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe bills that the Council is proposing are reasonable and fair while still allowing the Department of Health to do its job effectively,\u201d said Council Member Michael Nelson. \u201cI think this legislation will achieve the results we\u2019re aiming for and I thank Speaker Quinn and my fellow Council Members for listening to New Yorkers\u2019 concerns and acting to address them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one has worked harder with the NYC Hospitality Alliance to develop these reforms of the Health Department inspection process than Speaker Quinn,\u201d said Robert Bookman, General and Legislative Counsel of NYC Hospitality Alliance. \u201cAs with all real leaders, she got the parties together and hammered out a path forward…and we thank her and her staff and the mayor’s office for this package. Fines will be reduced, inspections will be fairer, due process improved and a system will be created for further changes in the future. All of this helps small businesses without reducing the health and safety of restaurants.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSpeaker Quinn has been a leader fighting for small businesses, and we have been working closely with her to create fair policies that will regulate the industry while not hurting it,\u201d said Andrew Moesel, Spokesman for the NY State Restaurant Association. \u201cRestaurants have been under attack for the last several years, and we need smart officials who understand that the hospitality industry, and all small businesses, are the heart of New York City’s economy.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Comprehensive legislative package addresses concerns of restaurateurs, advocates and experts to ensure that the system is fair, efficient, consistent and accountable<\/p>\n
New York, NY \u2013 Today, Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn was joined by Council Members Arroyo, Brewer, Reyna, Williams, Comrie, Gentile, Greenfield, Koo, Nelson and Van Bramer to announce a legislative package designed to improve the City\u2019s restaurant inspection program while continuing to protect the health and safety of New Yorkers.<\/p>\n
…<\/p>\n