| Council decides to change restaurant inspection fees
It's going to cost Jefferson City's restaurants more for the city's health inspections, under a budget plan City Council members okayed Thursday night.
The nearly $60 million budget still must be adopted finally in a vote that's expected at the Oct. 15 council meeting.More than 50 businesses currently getting the health inspections now pay from $125-$325 for their twice-a-year check-ups.The council voted 6-4 Thursday to raise that to .25-percent of each business' gross receipts, with a $1,000 annual cap, after rejecting a proposal setting the cap at $500 a year.Councilman Richard Koon said, “With the numbers kicked around, the increase on a $50 meal would be add 10-cents, and a penny on a fast-food meal."But Councilman Brian Crane questioned “trying to make policy decisions during budget hearings."Based on information given to the council, the local McDonald's Restaurants $325 fees would climb to a total of $20,890 without the $1,000 cap, based on a total gross receipts of more than $8.35 million.
A recipe for connection
The crispy onion tilapia, chicken-asparagus risotto, and Dr Pepper flank steak are popular items in the "Grab n' Go Freezer" at Super Suppers, a do-it-yourself meal-assembly franchise in Westborough. But until recently, the presentation - entrees stacked on shelves in aluminum pans and plastic bags - didn't do much to whet appetites. That was before the store's owners watched a live online video conference in which the company's founder demonstrated how the foods could be more attractively displayed. So they arranged the freezer differently and posted enticing photos of cooked meals on its doors. "It's an overused phrase, but a picture's worth a thousand words," said Kelly Smythe, one of the Westborough franchise's three co-owners. Adopting the tips on the video, she added, "makes the food more appetizing to look at, helps people understand what's in there, and also helps sell it better." Web conferencing isn't just for the corporate boardroom anymore.
Qwest Eyes Portland Franchise
Qwest Communications could get a video franchise for Portland, Ore. by as early as Nov. 14. The Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission, which handles video franchising for the city and surrounding areas, voted 5-0 on Sept. 17 to recommend the franchise to the Portland City Council for its approval. A first reading on the franchise should take place on Oct. 10. The franchise approved by the commission would award Qwest a six-year franchise. The telco could earn a two-year franchise extension if it reaches at least 20% of the city’s dwellings in the first three years of the franchise, and another three-year extension if it reaches 30% of the community during the original franchise term. The franchise, which has been in negotiations for more than a year, attracted the opposition of the Oregon Cable Telecommunications Association and Comcast, Portland’s incumbent operator.
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