2006 Ohio Revised Code - 3717.25. Fees.

§ 3717.25. Fees.
 

(A)  A licensor may charge fees for issuing and renewing retail food establishment licenses. Any licensing fee charged shall be used solely for the administration and enforcement of the provisions of this chapter and the rules adopted under it applicable to retail food establishments. 
 

Any licensing fee charged under this section shall be based on the licensor's costs of regulating retail food establishments, as determined according to the uniform methodologies established under section 3717.07 of the Revised Code. If the licensor is a board of health, a fee may be disapproved by the district advisory council in the case of a general health district or the legislative authority of the city in the case of a city health district. A disapproved fee shall not be charged by the board of health. 
 

At least thirty days prior to establishing a licensing fee, the licensor shall hold a public hearing regarding the proposed fee. At least thirty days prior to the public hearing, the licensor shall give written notice of the hearing to each person or government entity holding a retail food establishment license that may be affected by the proposed fee. The notice shall be mailed to the last known address of the licensee and shall specify the date, time, and place of the hearing and the amount of the proposed fee. On request, the licensor shall provide the completed uniform methodology used in the calculation of the licensor's costs and the proposed fee. 

(B)  In addition to licensing fees, a licensor may charge fees for any of the following: 

(1) Review of facility layout and equipment specifications pertaining to retail food establishments, other than mobile and temporary retail food establishments; 

(2) Any necessary collection and bacteriological examination of samples from retail food establishments or similar services specified in rules adopted under this chapter by the director of agriculture; 

(3) Attendance at a course of study offered by the licensor in food protection as it pertains to retail food establishments, if the course is approved under section 3717.09 of the Revised Code. 

(C)  The director may determine by rule an amount to be collected from applicants for retail food establishment licenses for use by the director in administering and enforcing the provisions of this chapter and the rules adopted under it applicable to retail food establishments. Licensors shall collect the amount prior to issuing an applicant's new or renewed license. If a licensing fee is charged under this section, the licensor shall collect the amount at the same time the fee is collected. Licensors are not required to provide notice or hold public hearings regarding amounts collected under this division. 
 

Not later than sixty days after the last day of the month in which a license is issued, the licensor shall certify the amount collected under this division and transmit the amount to the treasurer of state. All amounts received shall be deposited into the food safety fund created in section 915.24 of the Revised Code. The director shall use the amounts solely for the administration and enforcement of the provisions of this chapter and the rules adopted under it applicable to retail food establishments. 
 

When adopting rules regarding the amounts collected under this division, the director shall make available during the rule making process the current and projected expenses of administering and enforcing the provisions of this chapter and the rules adopted under it applicable to retail food establishments and the total of all amounts that have been deposited in the food safety fund pursuant to this division. 
 

HISTORY: 148 v H 223 (Eff 11-3-99); 149 v S 136. Eff 11-21-2001.
 

Not analogous to former RC § 3717.25 (RS §§ 4200-30, 4200-44; 83 v 178, 180, § 15; 84 v 182; GC § 12741; Bureau of Code Revision, 10-1-53), repealed 147 v S 87, § 2, eff 10-21-97. See now RC § 917.01 et seq.