All Georgetown businesses must have sanitation certificates- Town Clerk

Last Updated on Monday, 8 January 2018, 16:36 by Denis Chabrol

Georgetown Town Clerk, Royston King engages with the press corps outside City Hall.

Town Clerk of Georgetown Royston King said that as of January 1, all businesses in Georgetown are required to have a sanitation certificate issued by the Mayor and City Council.

King explained that “this is necessary to confirm that our public health and environmental health inspectors have visited and inspected their premises and that they are complying with public health standards and regulations.”

To obtain a sanitation certificate, businesses must provide adequate washrooms and sanitation facilities, have proper ventilation and their place of operation must be in a state of “good repair.” The town clerk said all lumber yards, sawmills, food, and beverage manufacturers and any other businesses must be inspected by the M&CC then registered with the council. According to King, this is stipulated under the Municipal and District Councils Act.

Citing from Section 302:31 (g) of the Municipal and District Councils Act, King said “the council has the authority to regulate the mode and place in which any trade or manufacture may be carried out within the city or the town at prescribed conditions on which machinery made, with the consent of the council be erected in the city or the town.”

However, King indicated that the process will attract a small fee which will be announced at a later date. This too, the Town Clerk clarified, falls under the Act, Section 302 (35) which gives the council the authority “to prescribe fees and charges and to issue license or permits (which may be subject to conditions) in respect of the doing of anything which the council is entitled to establish, maintain, control or carry on and to remit such fees or charges and to vary or revoke any such license or permit”

Section 302 (36) of the Act also states that the council has the authority “to incur all expenditure necessary for the performance of its functions (whether functions arising from this section or otherwise) and for the doing of all things incidental thereto.”

The government’s Department of Public Information said the move by the M&CC is part of its mandate to ensure that its citizens remain healthy and that all businesses comply with laws of the land.