How Fontana Handles Public Health Rules: A Practical Guide
Fontana maintains 107 local ordinances across all categories, and 2 of those deal specifically with public health rules. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Fontana falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.
Rodent Control
Fontana requires wet refuse to be stored in a way that prevents vector breeding under Municipal Code Sec. 24-13, since insects and rodents can transmit disease from unsanitary solid waste. Separately, Sec. 18-2 declares a building that is a breeding place for rodents or vermin, or vegetation that harbors rats or vermin, a public nuisance subject to the city's abatement procedure.
Key details: Refuse rule: Wet refuse must not create vector breeding. Prohibited in bins: Dead animals, infectious/hazardous waste. Nuisance trigger: Building a 'breeding place for rodents'. Vegetation trigger: Overgrowth 'likely to harbor rats or vermin'. Correction period: At least 10 days' notice.
A violation of Sec. 18-2's rodent-harborage provisions is a misdemeanor under subsection (f), enforced through the Chapter 18 nuisance notice-and-abatement process, with abatement costs becoming a property lien if unpaid. Sec. 24-13's vector-breeding refuse rules are enforced as part of the solid waste chapter's general nuisance and collection-compliance provisions.
Restaurant Grade Cards
Fontana adopts San Bernardino County's letter-grade inspection program for every place that sells or serves food, with the county's environmental health division doing the inspecting and enforcing on the city's behalf. Restaurants must post their letter grade card where the public can see it, and defacing or removing it is a separate violation.
Key details: Program: San Bernardino Co. Ordinance No. 3930, adopted by reference. Enforcement agency: County Dept. of Public Health, Environmental Health. Posting: Letter grade card in prominent, visible location. Card tampering: Defacing or removing the card is a violation. Scope: Anywhere food or beverages are sold in city.
Operating without the letter grade card posted violates Sec. 13-31(e)(1). Defacing, hiding or removing a posted card violates Sec. 13-31(e)(2) and, per County Code Section 33.0112 as adopted, can trigger suspension or revocation of the establishment's public health permit in addition to the posting violation itself.
The Bottom Line
Fontana's public health rules rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Fontana is broadly strict or permissive.
Keep in mind that Fontana can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.