Searching the Internet and Paid Lists It is simple enough to use your favorite search engine and search, “restaurants near me.” That list might yield some surprises, but it is not very structured. Another approach is to buy business lists. Many companies publish business lists pri- marily for marketing purposes. A list of res- taurants (with names and addresses) would augment the known restaurant inventory. Referrals When the fire department or code enforce- ment o cer leaves a property, they might have learned what regulated activities (or unregulated activities) are going on there. Make that referral easy and environmental health will receive direct information for enforcement or permitting activities. Community Outreach Environmental health departments can also work with associations and community orga- nizations to identify unpermitted or unli- censed facilities in the area. This work could
retail areas. This concept holds true for hazardous material programs as smaller auto shops are dense in areas zoned for light industrial use.
involve conducting surveys or holding public meetings to gather information about local businesses and to make the community aware of regulations and laws. Planning to Expand In the same ways that fees rise incremen- tally, it is reasonable to expect a modest expansion, perhaps 3–5% in most years, within the context of a strategic plan and public health goals. Ensure that both individual contributors and leadership are made aware of the plan and the expected benefits. Then, execute the plan, prioritizing higher risk health programs and monitoring the program overall. Corresponding Author: Darryl Booth, General Manager, Environmental Health, Accela, 2633 Camino Ramon #500, San Ramon, CA 94583. E-mail: dbooth@accela.com.
Collaborating With Business Licensing Departments
Whether your agency represents a county work- ing with many cities or a health district working with many counties and cities, it is reasonable to request business licensing transactions as a professional courtesy. The licensed businesses, when compared with the environmental health facility inventory, will almost always expose businesses that should also be regulated under environmental health regulations. Better still, a regular or real-time dataflow between governments and departments can operationalize the processes for opening new businesses. It is confusing and frustrating for businesses to engage the city, the county, and the state— each with very dierent processes. It would be great if a business could expect a single point of application to meet all their obligations.
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Get certified in Environmental Health and Land Reuse and help reduce health disparities in your community. Visit neha.org/ehlr. Close the gap.
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