The King County Board of Health may hold off on implementing increased fees for temporary events and farmers markets this year to allow for revisions to its inspection services, the deficit for doing so estimated at $500,000 this year.

Public Health – Seattle & King County had proposed last year increasing permit fees for farmers markets and temporary events to capture the real cost health inspections, which are covered solely by those fees.

A farmers market coordinator fee had been proposed to increase 131 percent this year, from $502 to $1,162. A temporary food – limited fee, which applies to vendors with less food handling demands like scooping ice cream, was proposed to increase 264 percent, from $55 to $200. A temporary food permit for a more full-scale vendor was proposed to increase 42 percent, from $281 to $400.

The board of health’s fee subcommittee proposed Thursday, Jan. 15, farmers market and temporary event fees remain flat this year to allow the inspection program to be redesigned to include less services to bring the cost down while maintaining adequate food safety. The board is expected to vote on this proposal in February, a staff report estimating a $500,000 loss this year by keeping rates flat.