The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors recognizes the negative impact the pandemic has had on local retail food establishments. On July 13, 2022, in response to this continued hardship, and with an allocation of federal funding from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLRF), the Board approved a second Retail Food Fee Waiver program. The extension of this program seeks to provide additional relief to businesses throughout the county by waiving the retail food permit fee in 2023.
The Environmental Management Department (EMD) is implementing the extension of the program by automatically applying the waiver to renewal retail food permit invoices generated effective January 1, 2023 for those accounts that meet the eligibility requirement. The invoice will include a credit equal to the current permit fee. Any businesses that require additional permits from EMD in addition to Retail Food will continue to see those fees assessed on the invoice and they are payable.
Notice: This program has been extended and will continue throughout 2023.
Eligibility Requirement:
Eligible retail food businesses are those with an annual permit in operation as of December 31, 2022, and whose accounts are in good standing through the December 2022 billing cycle. Exceptions are permits for retail markets greater than 15,000 square feet and one-time/registration permits such as temporary food facility and event coordinator. The second Retail Food Fee Waiver is not authorized to use these funds for delinquent accounts. We encourage you to reconcile any past due fees to be eligible for the second Retail Food Fee Waiver. If you have an overdue account, please contact EMD at (916) 875-8481 to discuss payment plans or other options to assist you.
Frequently Asked Questions
American Rescue Plan Act.
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
(ARPA) into law which includes funding to local governments under the
Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF). SLFRF allocations may
be spent by counties for purposes that fall within certain categories one of
which is negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency.
Retail food businesses with an annual permit and in operation as of December 31, 2022 are eligible. Exceptions are permits for retail markets greater than 15,000 sqft and one-time/registration permits such as temporary food facility and event coordinator.
No, the ARPA funded credit
will be applied automatically to the invoice.
The Fee Waiver program is
effective as of January 1, 2023. The fee waiver will be automatically applied
to the 2023 invoice. The credit will be equal to
the Food Facility Health Permit fee.
Credited the same amount as the annual food facility health permit fee. All other program fees such as stormwater will appear on the invoice and are not included in this waiver program. Example: If your fee is $1,292.00 for a restaurant, then that fee will be credited on your invoice.
If you have permits other than
retail food, those are still payable. Pay those amounts as normal.
EMD will begin crediting
invoices starting with the January 2023 invoice and continue crediting eligible
businesses through December 2023.
No, ARPA funds cannot be
applied to past due fees.
No, the funds can only be
applied to the invoice as a credit and are not refundable.
No, The fee waiver program will provide a credit on the next invoice cycle in calendar year 2023.
Eligible businesses are
those in operation as of December 31, 2022. If a change of ownership
occurred after that date, the new owner will not be eligible.
Yes, invoices generated in
2022 are payable and you will receive your waiver/credit in December 2023.
This is a one-time credit.
Yes, each eligible food facility will receive a credit.
Yes, each eligible Food Facility Health Permit will receive a waiver. For example, a facility with a restaurant and satellite food service will receive a waiver for each permit.
