PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Delaware County is pivoting its approach after a court ruling goes against its plans.
The Delaware County Health Department is only three years old.
“Municipalities did their own environmental licensing and inspections of food-serving establishments,” said Delaware County’s health executive director, Lora Werner.
She said they wanted to take over that responsibility for the county’s municipalities.
“There was a subset of the 49 municipalities in the county that went to court to continue to have authority to do their own environmental health licensing and inspection services,” she said.
A court ruled in favor of those municipalities, and Werner said they will not appeal it.
“Delaware County has made the decision to just move forward with working with these municipalities, thinking through how we can work together to serve county residents,” she explained.
The 13 municipalities that will continue to do their own health licensing and inspection services are Clifton Heights, Eddystone, Ridley Park and Aston, Darby, Lower Chichester, Marple, Middletown, Ridley, Springfield, Tinicum, and Upper Chichester townships.