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In this episode of ClackCo Works, Julie Hamilton, Environmental Health Program Manager for Clackamas County, gives listeners a behind-the-scenes look at how her team keeps the community safe. She explains how they inspect everything from pools and childcare centers to restaurants, often showing up unannounced to catch issues before they become serious. Julie shares real stories about helping local businesses fix problems like unsafe food temperatures and poor handwashing. She also talks about the growing challenge of unlicensed food vendors and why proper licensing matters. Tune in to discover how these dedicated professionals help make Clackamas County a safer place to eat, play, and live.
Transcript
Dylan: Welcome to ClackCo Works, where we talk with the people who make Clackamas County work for their community. I'm Dylan Blaylock with Clackamas County Public and Government Affairs. Today, we're joined by Julie Hamilton, the Environmental Health Program Manager within the county's Health, Housing, and Human Services department. Thanks for being here, Julie.
Julie: Thanks for having me. It's great to be here.
Dylan: First question—what does "environmental health" mean as a term? I'm not sure everyone is familiar with it.
Julie: That's a great question. Environmental health is a broad field. It's the branch of public health that looks at how the environment impacts people's health. Across the U.S., it covers areas like air quality, drinking water, hazardous materials, food safety—which most people think about—pool and recreational water use, solid waste, and a variety of other areas as well.
Dylan: I think we'll focus a lot on restaurant inspection, but I want to cover a few other things you do first. Can you talk about pools and childcare facilities? What do you do at those places, and how often do you go?
Julie: For most places open year-round, inspections are done twice a year and are unannounced. We go through the entire facility, look at the rules, check compliance, and ask a lot of questions about their operations. This helps us identify anything that might put people at risk of getting sick.
Dylan: What about pools specifically?
Julie: For pools, we check the water chemistry—chlorine and pH balance. We make sure main drain covers are in place so no one gets caught in the recirculation system. We also check that gates close properly to prevent children from entering unsupervised, and we look at other hazards and equipment to ensure everything is functioning properly.
Dylan: And at childcare facilities, is it mainly food-related or safety?
Julie: Childcare facilities are licensed by the state of Oregon. Before they're due for relicensing, they request a sanitation inspection from us. That includes food, but we also look at other health and safety issues throughout the facility.
Dylan: Let's get into restaurant inspections. People know restaurants have to be inspected, but maybe not the details. What does an inspection look like, and how often do you do them? Where do you go?
Julie: Restaurant inspections are done twice a year, unannounced. We introduce ourselves, build relationships with the businesses, and go through both the front and back of the house, asking employees lots of questions about their processes. We take temperatures and look at areas with high risk for causing foodborne illness. Inspections use the FDA food code. Oregon just adopted the 2022 Food Code last year, so we're implementing some changes and doing a lot of education with restaurants when we update the rules.
Dylan: If the food code is set federally, does it change over time? Is it based on science or reporting about how often people get sick?
Julie: Yes. The FDA writes a model food code and updates it every few years, based on the science of what's making people sick. They meet at conferences, look at new and emerging practices, and take input from scientists, regulators, and industry. Then the state of Oregon goes through a process to update and adopt rules.
Dylan: What are some of the more common problems or leading issues at restaurants that make people sick—the things your inspectors watch for?
Julie: The FDA has identified about five high-risk areas in restaurants. We focus on those: handwashing, working while sick, temperature control (refrigeration, cooking, cooling), food storage equipment and sanitation, and making sure food comes from safe sources. That means not making food at home or using unapproved water sources.
Dylan: Do you go to every restaurant in the county, or just those outside city limits?
Julie: We inspect every restaurant and food cart in Clackamas County. The state Department of Agriculture regulates food sold at retail markets and food manufacturing, but the county regulates all restaurants for immediate consumption.
Dylan: How big is your staff?
Julie: We have seven inspectors, divided throughout the county.
Dylan: How many restaurants are there?
Julie: Just under a thousand restaurants and a little over 200 food carts. We've issued about 1,800 licenses this year.
Dylan: That's a lot of restaurants and food carts to cover.
Julie: It's a lot of inspections. We're busy—out in the community every day doing field work and working with businesses.
Dylan: Why is this important? Maybe you have an example—without naming names—of a restaurant you helped turn around that was at risk of making people sick.
Julie: I've been doing this work for 26 years, so I have lots of examples. Most people want to do the right thing, but sometimes things go wrong or they don't know. Once, I got a report of foodborne illness and went out right away. After talking with the manager and cooks, we realized it might be linked to their salad. They had started making a new salad dressing from scratch, mixing ingredients that were safe at room temperature individually, but once mixed, became perishable. They made large batches—about ten gallons at a time—and put them in the fridge, but the volume was too great to cool quickly. The dressing stayed above refrigeration temperature for a day or two, allowing bacteria to grow. Once we figured it out, we threw out what was left and changed their practices—now they chill the ingredients before mixing, and no more people got sick.
Dylan: Did they have to shut down?
Julie: Not in that case. But sometimes we do have to close restaurants if the problems can't be fixed immediately. Once resolved, they can reopen—usually within a day or two, depending on the issue.
Dylan: What does the report card or grading system look like when your inspectors go out?
Julie: In Oregon, it's a pass/fail system. Restaurants and food carts start with a perfect score of 100 points. Points are deducted for high and moderate risk violations. A score of 70 or above is a pass; below 70 is a fail. A sticker by the entrance or window shows pass or fail. If someone fails, we work with them to fix the violations and do a second inspection within 30 days. If they don't pass then, we have to close them until they fix the risks.
Dylan: Is closure pretty rare in your experience?
Julie: Extremely rare. I can count the number of closures on one hand in my 26 years.
Dylan: How can people tell if a restaurant or food truck is licensed?
Julie: Look for the sticker by the door that says "complied" from the state of Oregon. Businesses are also required to post their licenses. You can ask to see their license or last health inspection. Food trucks and carts usually have them posted in a visible spot.
Dylan: Where does the funding for environmental health come from in Clackamas County?
Julie: The fees for licenses and services support our program. We get a little revenue from food handler cards, but most of our work is funded by the fees from restaurants, pools, and other licenses—not from general property taxes.
Dylan: Does just Clackamas County inspect restaurants, or is it a mandate for all counties in Oregon?
Julie: All counties in Oregon inspect restaurants. The state oversees the counties, so we all do things the same way in terms of scoring, number of inspections, and types of facilities.
Dylan: So all restaurants in Oregon are supposed to be inspected twice a year?
Julie: Correct.
Dylan: Last question—what do you wish more Clackamas County residents knew about environmental health and restaurant inspection?
Julie: Our work is very behind the scenes. We focus on prevention so people don't have to worry about getting sick when they eat out, swim, or stay in a hotel. We want people to take that safety for granted. Unfortunately, we've seen a rise in unlicensed food vendors—makeshift carts and stands that aren't inspected and often lack handwashing or proper temperature control. To protect yourself, check that a food vendor is licensed by asking for their permit.
Dylan: Julie Hamilton is the Environmental Health Program Manager with Clackamas County. Thanks for being here.
Julie: Thank you for having me.
Dylan: Pleasure.