PLYMOUTH – The Marshall County Health Department is working to bridge a gap in food inspection services after an unexpected vacancy left the department without its longtime sanitarian.
New Health Department Administrator Jackie Franks appeared before the County Commissioners this week to inform them of the vacancy in the Food Sanitarian or Environmentalist position. Franks explained that the person in this role handles all food inspections, restaurant inspections for new food permits, and investigates complaints involving food.
Franks said one individual at the department can handle some of the work, but the position is highly specialized, and the previous employee had been in place for decades, leaving a significant knowledge gap.
To address the shortfall, Franks proposed establishing a reciprocal agreement with another county that has a larger capacity to lend a qualified person on an as-needed basis for new establishment inspections and complaint investigations. She has been in discussions with the Elkhart County Health Department, which has multiple employees trained to handle food inspections. Franks said Elkhart is still assessing whether it has the capacity to occasionally lend an employee to Marshall County.
Commissioner Klotz asked about covering the cost, and Franks said she would move money around in the budget to pay for the arrangement. She notified the commissioners that she won’t be able to hire a replacement until after Thanksgiving, once costs for the departing employee’s time off, vacation, and longevity pay are settled. She added that getting a new employee trained and up to speed will likely take a few months after their start date.
Franks noted that the position requires a bachelor’s degree, along with knowledge of food safety and the FDA Food Code.
The County Commissioners granted Franks the authority to move forward with obtaining an agreement with an adjacent health department and to bring the agreement back for ratification.
