DALTON, Mass. — The Board of Health earlier this week discussed some of the issues facing the Stationery Factory in hosting events, including catering permits and kitchen inspections. 

 

The board had recently set an annual fee of $50 for establishments with commissary kitchens after the venue expressed interest in having that type of kitchen, although on Monday it changed the language to "lease" kitchen to clarify the type. 

 

But owner Steven Sears said he had been unaware that permits from different boards were required to operate, referring to a food establishment permit he had been unaware of. Business owners get notified by the town around mid-October that their annual licenses need to be renewed. Sears said the food establishment permit — issued by the Board of Health — did not come up.

 

The venue is now up to date and had already renewed its common victualer's license, liquor license, and entertainment license through the Select Board last fall. 

 

He did recommend that the Select Board be informed that these types of licenses are required so it can be included in the license renewal packet so the applicant does not have to go to multiple boards.

 

Health Agent Agnes Witkowski said she can add a line to the food establishment requirements and instructions.  

 

"We can turn around and add a couple of lines. If you're a bar, if you’re a food establishment, this is the website that you need to go to and here are the instructions," she said. "My understanding is the common victualer [license] is through the Select Board and then this food establishment is through the Board of Health."

 

Since getting the food establishment permit, the building inspector is now saying the kitchen does not meet code even though Sears said he has heard from many people that the appliances in it are commonly used in the industry.

 

The Stationery Factory purchased heating elements including a convection oven and an electric hot plate in 2015. Caterers have used the convection oven as a food warmer and the hot plate to boil water.

 

The kitchen also has some gas-powered items, such as a deep fryer, that Sears said are not being used because the gas is not hooked up. There also is no hood, which apparently is the stumbling block

 

Sears said he will ask the building inspector and fire chief for permission to use both appliances under certain constraints until a hood can be installed.

 

According to Sears and Witkowski, Berkshire Health Alliance inspector Ned Saviski said use of the hotplate and convection oven is safe from a health perspective.  

 

The Board of Health made a statement in support of Saviski's opinion but noted it cannot approve use of the items; rather it's a referral that it can be taken to the Fire Department and building inspector for consideration.

 

"The person who's supposed to mentor [Witkowski,] a representative of Berkshire Alliance, makes a comment from his in-person visit. I think there's some value in that. I'm not trying to step on the building inspector's toes. That's a whole separate lane. I'm not trying to step on the fire chief's toes. That's a whole separate lane," board Chair Andrew Perenick said.

 

The chair said he was comfortable making a statement because officials want to be pro business and Sears has been putting in "good faith" efforts to work with the town. 

 

The board is still working on how to certify caterers either through a permit or an approval process that would have them register, similar to what Williamstown does. Witkowski already has a form that the board is discussing using.

 

"I think that's actually better than a permit because they're already paying for a permit to get the licenses," Sears said of the registration idea.

 

 He said the caterers that the Stationary Factory works with are licensed within their own towns and that it works with approximately 40 different vendors a year.

 

"Once they're in town they should be good for the year," he said. "I think we don't want to make it onerous to have them in business in town."

 

Other events also may work with multiple caterers so having a process like this is important, Perenick said.

 

Sears said he has heard from caterers that it can be burdensome to have an inspection for every event.

 

Witkowski said she has to conduct an inspection because they are listed under a temporary license. She doesn't worry too much about local caterers because she knows their kitchens but that's not the case with out-of-town caterers.

 

In other news, the board voted to require that applicants for the temporary food permit be required to have a food handler. Temporary food permits are for events that are 14 days or less; they are often used by nonprofits, such as the Dalton Carnival, for selling time sensitive food.