DEPARTMENT: Human Services
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Melody Woosley
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Proposed revisions to Chapter 13 City Code: Food and Food Handlers
SUMMARY:
This item proposes revisions to City Code Chapter 13: Food and Food Handlers with regards to establishing exceptions to facilitate charitable feeding. This item also requests approval to move these revisions forward to the full City Council for consideration.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On April 21 and May 17, the Department of Human Services (DHS), San Antonio Metropolitan Health District (SAMHD) and the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) provided briefings to the City Council Quality of Life Committee regarding charitable feeding of the homeless. Council members requested staff research best practices and review City regulations regarding food safety and distribution and develop recommendations to support charitable feeding in a safe manner.
Chapter 13 of the San Antonio City Code regulates all food establishments, including mobile food establishments, consistent with the Texas Food Establishment Rules. These regulations do not currently include provisions specifically addressing charitable feeding.
ISSUE:
The current City Code does not address charitable feeding and staff recommends revisions to Chapter 13 of the City Code: Food and Food Handlers to support charitable feeding.
The revision would create a Charitable Feeding section in the City Code that specifically addresses the safety of prepared food and outlines minimum requirements for outdoor feeding of five or more people. The proposed revisions include:
* no permit or fee for charitable feeding
* notice to Health Department within at least 24-hours of event
* removal of undistributed food from site
* proper trash and waste disposal occur on site
* one person on site with a food handler's or food manager's certification (waiver of City's fee for certification)
o food handler's or fo...
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