Chamber Asks Board Of Health Not To Change Infractions Policy

A release from the Reading-North Reading Chamber of Commerce:

Dear Board of Health:

The Reading-North Reading Chamber of Commerce believes the proposed policy change which requires the BOH to post infractions found during Health Inspections online is overly unfriendly to our local businesses. The current BOH inspection process has been working successfully to both protect the public health and the business integrity of local restaurants. Currently, if there are serious issues found at a restaurant, there is a policy to notify the public. It is understandable in the restaurant business that there are occasional, minor issues found at inspections, in which case businesses are given 10 days to address those concerns. As the BOH is aware, these minor issues are almost always addressed within the 10 day period. The current process is clearly effective in addressing minor inspection issues. Our position is that the posting of all infractions online, however small, will garner a tremendous amount of negative feedback and unwarranted and unnecessary concerns- particularly on social media.

On behalf of all Reading restaurants, we ask that you consider the significant unintended consequences of the proposed policy on our hardworking, locally owned businesses. We are fortunate to have a variety of amazing restaurants in our region, and even the whisper of a health infraction can dramatically affect a business and its viability. We would like to see the current policy remain, allowing time for the business to address the concerns, without causing the unnecessary alarm that an online public posting would cause.

Respectfully,
Francine Coughlin, Owner of Bark n’ Roll and Chamber President
Submitted on behalf of the Board of Directors