County Cracks Down On BBQ - Are You Kidding Me?
Posted by Jeff Pruitt - 7/25/08 @ 11:02 pm - Filed Under Featured, Local Politics
I don’t even know what to say about this other than what a bunch of bozos.
Allen County restaurants will likely no longer be allowed to start grilling ribs and other meats outdoors, although existing businesses can continue the practice.
The county commissioners Friday agreed to repeal part of the local health code that allowed restaurants to cook food outdoors for 10 days each month but grandfathered businesses that currently have permits.
Mindy Waldron, Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health administrator, opposed allowing existing businesses to continue the practice because it goes against state health regulations. She said outdoor cooking facilities don’t have the same safety requirements as those indoors, including regular hand washing.
Are you kidding me? Seriously, cities all over this country have BBQ restaurants that cook outdoors regularly yet they don’t find the need to crack down on them. Is this the kind of regulation the county should be wasting their time on? A bunch of self-professed “conservatives” have decided that no new BBQ restaurant should be allowed to operate in this county.
County government becomes a bigger caricature of ridiculousness every single week. To channel Sylvester, is there anybody reading this blog that thinks this regulation is necessary?
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17 Responses to “County Cracks Down On BBQ - Are You Kidding Me?”
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Jeff,
I agree, it is absurd.
Mike Sylvester
It would be terrible if people were allowed to actually enjoy life anymore.
Totally Random Thoughts….
When I read that - I was like - what the heck?. But then I figured - maybe I’m the only one who enjoys some real bbq-ing…
It’s not like these folks are hooking up $50 grills from their local Walmart either…
I perused the code - and Mindy is wrong. There’s nothing in there that says that what they are doing is against the code.
Course if I am wrong, then perhaps those who have been paying the “permit” part of this for several years, should sue the hell out of Allen County for taking their money for what was an illegal activity. I can see it - conspiracy to commit fraudulant activities…endanger public health….
That would be GREAT publicity for Allen County - and as we know - would drive even MORE businesses to want to open up in AC…not.
Progressive folks would recognize that businesses are supplying a DEMAND by the public and therefore, if there is something that needs to be spelled out in the state code - they would be all over their state buddies to get the proper wording in place.
Of course that might be just too much work - especially when people just want to check boxes in their roles. Protected the citizens of Allen County - CHECK!
Jeff - we need a running list of all of the stupid things that the county is doing in 2008 so that at the end of the year, we can formalize a “top 10″.
If I recall, this crackdown has already contributed to the death of Bruce Marshall, and the demise of the Fort Wayne landmark Chuck Wagon BBQ. Though some seek to honor Bruce’s contribution to the community,
“After Bruce Marshall, proprietor of Chuck Wagon BBQ, died last October, the folks at Dicky’s Wild Hare, 2910 Maplecrest Road, bought his grill. On Saturday, the restaurant is honoring Marshall with a benefit from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Proceeds that day will go to a local charity.” (from the NS)
my hope is that in doing so they don’t fall prey to the BBQ police also.
How long before they come after me and my Weber?
What is happening here? Is the Allen County Board of Health putting the blame on the State Code or ISDH regulations? Or do such regulations exist?
If the regulations do exist then they should specify the regulation.
If these regulation do exist then why have they been allowed? Meaning that they have permits online that allow it. Right? It appears that even Marion County provides for temporary outdoor cooking by vendors and food establishments. And Marion County is how close to Indianapolis?
What I really despise is when the media either doesn’t investigate and report the facts. And if this is the case the County Board of Health doesn’t provide the facts supporting their claims.
So, are they now going to ban outdoor cooking for all the festival events? That’s probably what prompted all of this. If people know they can get a good meal for a fair price just down the road, then they might not spend ten dollars for a burger at the festivals.
Fred,
But Commissioner Nelson Peters assured us this was just a big misunderstanding, that the Health Department really wasn’t harassing Mr Marshall. From my Fort Wayne Left post last October:
Well, everyone should read the quotes in the JG story from the Allen County Health Department and then ask yourself who do you believe - the Marshall family or the health department bozos?
Leading a party is a thankless and difficult job but it seems like a complete failure of Democratic leadership that they couldn’t recruit anybody to run against Nelson Peters this November…
I recall the marshall family story also.
Maybe the county figures if their lives are made miserable by not having enough “disposable cash” at the ready for every single project that comes down the pike, maybe “we” should be a bit more disenfranchised as well.
If they ban outdoor cooking, than perhaps all these yokels around MY area should not be allowed to BBQ out FRONT on the lawn on a residential street. (that’s why they have BACK yards)
Makes one wonder.
B.G.
These clowns from the “health” department sound like they were trained by the FDA. There theory is that by doing away with outdoor BBQ they will prevent “Bird Flu” and “Mad Cow Disease”.
It seems to be OK to sell “crack” on the corner but you better not sell BBQ! Give me a break!!!
Twas a man who liked to grill in the Fort
But was ordered by the City to abort
So he packed up his grill
Shed a tear and was still
And the people were saved from his sort.
Seriously, I burst into laughter after reading that. Thank you.
But city does need to be replaced with county…
“She said outdoor cooking facilities don’t have the same safety requirements as those indoors, including regular hand washing.”
So if that is the case, why not simply pass an ordinance that subjects outdoor cooking to the rules as indoor cooking?
And I HATE grandfather clauses. If it’s bad for a new business to do it, it’s bad for an old business to do it. But if the old business is engaging in a practice without hurting anyone, why not allow new businesses to do the same?
Jeff, glad I could provide a laugh. Good point on the City/County distinction. Now what rhymes with Allen…………
John Colgate,
You’ve just inspired me with a brilliant idea. I am going to petition the FDA to classify crack cocaine as a food. All I have to do is find a few people who use this as their only source of sustenance - shouldn’t be too hard. Then I will petition the County to regulate this outdoor “food” activity.
Seriously, do you want to buy a piece of crack that a guy has stashed in the grass beside a tree - the same tree that the dog just peed on? Or wouldn’t you rather buy from the convenience of a nice air-conditioned home. Of course, we’d have to get the Department of Weights and Measures involved also, to make sure they’re really giving you a full gram.
According to Nelson Peters, the Commissioners turned down the Board of Health’s request (they did approve raising some fees.) It looks to me like the article was incorrect, or at least confusing.
[...] I was contacted by commissioner Nelson Peters and he said that the post on banning BBQ was inaccurate. I told Nelson that I was relying on a direct quotation from a page story in the [...]
[...] we had the JG story suggesting the county commissioners had agreed to limit new permits for BBQ restaurants that wanted to cook outdoors. Then we had commissioner Nelson Peters saying that was inaccurate. [...]