The Board of Health is looking to provide more outreach on how the Health Department works.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — City health officials took issue with a recent newspaper report on the results of health inspections at local restaurants, saying the story presented an inaccurate view of Health Department compliance.

 

"I just think that misrepresented how we do business in general," said Board of Health Chairman Bobbie Orsi on Wednesday, in regard to an article in the Oct. 21 Berkshire Eagle.

 

Following a record request for the results of 127 Health Department inspections conducted in 2014, the newspaper's analysis indicated that only 77 percent of restaurants inspected passed the process.

 

"We felt that this was very misleading, because that implies that the remaining actually failed, which is not the case," said Department of Health Director Gina Armstrong.

 

"My observation was that it told only half the story," said Orsi, in that the report stated that these restaurants had violations, but did not mention that the issues were addressed, in many cases immediately.  

 

Armstrong said part of the inspection process often includes education of the proprietor by departmental staff, and frequently are corrected "right on the spot."

 

"Our restaurants are really in good standing," Orsi added.

 

Board member Dominica D'Avella stressed the importance of context and need for more outreach, not only about the inspection process but other areas where there may be misperceptions about the department's activity.  In recent months, the Health Department and Board of Health have drawn public criticism on array of topics, from code enforcement and a high personnel turnover to its handling of mosquito control and tobacco regulation.

 

During the public comment period of Wednesday's meeting, Pittsfield resident David Pill presented a lengthy list of issues he complained had been poorly addressed at multiple locations around the city.

 

"I don't know why you don't enforce things better," said Pill, in regard to long delays in response to violations and negligence by property owners. "There's a lot of communities that are better at enforcing this."

 

Pill questioned the amount of time spent by the board in conceptual health initiatives over which it holds little sway, such as reducing smoking, compared to more local issues that need attention.

 

"You have a huge impact on vacant buildings, blighted properties, trash in the streets," said Pill "I watch these meetings, and I don't see any discussion of this stuff."

 

Board member Jay Green said the board's responsibility was to both "big picture" health initiatives as well as "nuts and bolts" code enforcement.

 

"I think that we do it fairly well with the short staff that we have," said Green, who agreed that more outreach might be needed to communicate how the department works.

 

On a more specific note, the board agreed to discuss at a future meeting if and how to publish the full results of restaurants inspections for the public, as some communities have done.

 

"I think it increases the transparency," said Orsi. "Then a lone article doesn't stand out and misrepresent the issue."