By Karen Gleason
The temporary closure of a popular local chicken restaurant helped shed light on a problem facing the city. A proposed ordinance could help alleviate that problem.
After Golden Chick was temporarily closed due to sewage leaking from the restaurant’s grease trap, Karen Oliver, the city’s interim chief building official, explained that the unsanitary sewage was just the latest involving local eateries and their inadequately sized grease traps.
“This is not an isolated incident in the city. The city actually does not have a grease trap ordinance regulating the service establishments, and that is something that we’re working on,” Oliver said.
She noted sewage “is full of bacteria and is considered a public health nuisance.”
Oliver said she is working on a grease trap ordinance that will be presented to the Del Rio City Council for consideration later this month.
“This is so we can set minimum standards for all food service establishments within the Del Rio city limits,” she said.
Oliver said the grease trap issue is checked when restaurants are inspected by the city.
“It’s on every state inspection and health report,” she noted.
Oliver again noted the problem at Golden Chick is part of a wider issue found throughout the city, because there are many restaurants in Del Rio that don’t follow appropriate grease management practices.
She said the ordinance to be presented to the council would help address those problems.
“We will have to work with folks. We won’t be shutting folks down because they can’t come into compliance. They will be given an adequate notice time to come into compliance, but in the meantime, it is their responsibility to keep the sewage off the ground and out of their establishment,” Oliver said.
“It needs to be addressed. It is a serious problem in Del Rio,” she added.
