[REASON] Fort Worth Regulators Target Community Fridges Providing Free Food for People in Need

Week old update:

Fort Worth officials have said that they are dedicated to working on a solution that will allow the city’s community fridges to stay open, despite a series of antiquated laws that say fridges can not be left outdoors, unattended.

Both an official from the city’s office of code enforcement, and District 9 Councilwoman Ann Zadeh, have said they are working with Richardson and the city to negotiate a compromise to keep the Funky Town Fridges open.
...
Diane Covey, public information office for the city’s code enforcement department, said it’s not just the state law that concerns city officials, but issues like making sure the fridges maintain food-safe temperatures, and ensuring that no one tampers with the food inside them.

She also says the fridges are a zoning violation, specifically violating two sections of the city’s zoning law that relate to the placement of “non-habitable accessories.” Even though Richardson said she was told she was in violation of the 1964 city fridge law, Covey said the city isn’t even citing that law. Instead, they’re citing the state law, and the zoning violations.

Covey was adamant that the city wants to work with Richardson to find a solution. “We want to help them,” she said. “We love what they’re doing. They may have to find a different location, and we’ll work with them on that.”

She also said the city has not issued any citations or even a warning to Richardson yet.

https://dallas.eater.com/2021/1/7/2...ity-fridges-city-working-solution-zoning-code

 

There are so many of these types of antiquated laws on the books. Government needs to come up with some type of system to constantly review and submit laws to be voided due to irrelevance. Getting nonsense off the books makes life better for everyone except overzealous regulators.

 

As soon as I saw the headline I knew there has to be more to this story. I've worked on several restaurant projects and dealt with food safety laws. There are many issues involved with just leaving a fridge sitting outside besides that kids could lock themselves inside. The biggest issue with storing food is almost always temperature and outdoor cooler or refrigerator units have stricter requirements regarding the insulation and operation. Standard residential fridges aren't designed for outdoor operation where they exposed to changing temperatures, sun and precipitation. It's no surprise to me that a health dept. would raise red flags over this.

This is one of those things that while well meaning could easily lead to much bigger problems. In Fort Worth if an outdoor fridge fails it could quickly turn into a bio reactor. Anyone who's seen food meant to be stored cold warming up without temperature control it isn't a pretty sight. A few years ago one of my clients, an Asian grocery store, closed for a week for Chinese New Year. One of his compressors failed and by the time he got back he had lost over $100,000 worth of food. Note this was in Minnesota in February.. It was just the heated space in the store at about 70 degress that led to the food spoiling once refrigeration failed.

 

They should and the OP only quoted one antiquated law. From just reading the article and also what Buck posted I'm pretty sure that wasn't the primary issue: From the article: "Shey noted that Fort Worth community fridges likely also violate Texas state law, which prohibits leaving a refrigerator "outside a structure.")"

Storing food without proper temperature control isn't antiquated and is one of the first things that health inspectors look at.

 

Rule #1. Do what makes sense, not what the rules dictate.

 

@tinman

 

Well, his article served its purpose.

 

I remember you saying that. I forgot winky emoji thingy.

 

Agreed - each rule has to be looked at independently. But for what it's worth in this case, the city actually seems to be in support of the project and is working on ways to keep them open. So they aren't necessarily opposed to it on safety grounds either.

 

I agree with that

 

Agreed. With restaurants, for example, health inspectors generally stop by once or twice per year, so fridges could go 9 months not working properly before anyone enforces it. We live in an internet-connected world now, so an easy solution to the outdoor unmonitored fridge is to require connected sensors - if a fridge is above X degrees for Y minutes, the owner and/or health authorities are sent a notification. That would actually be a higher standard than restaurants and easier to maintain and monitor.

 

Yeah, unattended fridges sounds like a very bad idea.

 

Can't turn your back on the ice cream in a crowded grocery store or someone will start licking it...

 

It sounds to me like a pretty innovative and popular community-based solution to a problem government is failing to address. Does it have some issues? Sure. Are those more significant than all the people these things are helping all over the country? Doubtful.