Bellingham Board of Health cuts food inspection visits, fines septic hauler $750

BELLINGHAM — January 7, 2025 — Bellingham Board of Health votes to cut annual food inspections and fines septic hauler $750. The board voted unanimously at its January 7 meeting to reduce required annual food establishment inspections from four to three for most businesses, retaining the four-inspection standard for full-service food preparation facilities, supermarkets, and Chinese restaurants. Health Agent Dylan Leon and inspection contractor Rob cited the federal Food Code's two-inspection minimum and argued that consistently clean, low-risk establishments — among them Cumberland Farms, The Perfect Blend, and a local acai shop — did not justify four annual visits. The board also unanimously fined Michael Masad of Masad Environmental $750 for sloppy septic hauling paperwork, with Leon noting the fine must be paid before any permit is issued. Two additional regulatory items — a potential local kratom regulation modeled on a Lowell ordinance and a Brookline-style tobacco age restriction barring sales to anyone born after 2000 — were referred to legal counsel for review ahead of the next meeting.