County Weighs Fee Hikes for Health Checks : Revenue: The 6% increase for sanitation and safety inspections would cost local businesses $433,072. Supervisors will look at the matter on Tuesday.

In the never-ending search for money to keep local government afloat, Orange County officials are preparing to tap grocery stores, restaurants, hotels, bakeries, pet shops and swimming-pool operators countywide for the increasing cost of health inspections.

Even the corner hot-dog vendor and proprietors of local tattoo parlors and peep shows might be asked to pay at least 6% more for sanitation and safety checks.

Taken together, the additional fees would nick local businesses for $433,072, if approved Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors.

Out of concern for the sagging economy, the board froze all inspection charges last year. But officials said Thursday that a numbing workload, which has most inspectors conducting more than 300 reviews a year, has necessitated a proposal for likely increases--from $16 more per street vendor to $52 more a year for large supermarkets. The money would go to fund the increased costs associated with the program.

“Given the economic times and the concern for attracting and keeping businesses, obviously this is an issue to consider,” said Jim Huston, the county’s assistant director of environmental health. “But I think a majority of the people really recognize the importance of health inspections, especially when you think of the number of people who go out to eat every night.”

Last year, Huston’s staff of 52 county inspectors spent nights and weekends reviewing 29,333 food-related businesses, 20,659 public swimming pools and 734 hotels. Those visits resulted in the condemnation of 58,000 pounds of spoiled food, license suspensions for 158 eateries or food services and the closure of 263 pools, Huston said.

At least every three months last year, county inspectors visited Jaime Luna’s hot-dog cart at Santa Ana Boulevard and Parton Street in Santa Ana.

On Thursday, Luna said he was unaware of the proposed fee increases but believes the charges are probably necessary to police a very competitive business.

“You have a lot of people who don’t keep their carts clean or cook at the right temperature,” Luna said, standing alongside a steaming vat of beef franks. “I keep (the hot dogs) cooking at 250 degrees for three or four minutes. You don’t want to cook them too long or they won’t be any good either.”

The extra $16 inspection charge, Luna said, would not be passed on to his customers, who now pay about $2.50 for the “special”: a hot dog, chips and soda.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a problem,” Luna said. “It’s part of doing good business.”

Mike Rhodes, president of the California Restaurant Assn.’s Orange County chapter, said he was aware that county officials were considering the additional charges but did not know they could take effect so soon. If the increases are approved Tuesday, the county will start billing under the new fee schedule by July 1.

The estimated 7,000 restaurants in Orange County would be charged an additional $20 to $35 a year, depending on their seating capacities.

“Obviously, this is not something that we as an industry like to see happen,” Rhodes said. “But the county health program is necessary and needed so that we can police ourselves. Even if 99.9% of the establishments don’t have a problem, it’s needed so that problems can be detected and action taken. I don’t think a 6% increase will be out of line.”