Council Speaker Christine Quinn has reached an agreement with the Health Department to set specific fine amounts for failed restaurant inspections, reducing many to the level they were at before the Bloomberg administration instituted letter grades in 2010.
Owners have decried the system as inconsistent and confusing and say that has contributed to the number of fines being handed out.
Previously, small violations could result in fines up to $2,000 because they were left to the discretion of a hearing officer.
Under the new fine schedule, more than half of all penalties will be set at the minimum $200. That will reduce by about $10 million the amount of fines that restaurant owners pay each year.
“What good is an ‘A’ [letter rating] if it’s next to a ‘closed-for-business’ sign?” Quinn, who is running for mayor, said in announcing the deal, which came after she threatened legislation in July.
Quinn said she will also back legislation to allow restaurant owners to ask for an inspection consultation to help identify problems before they are graded, among other fixes.
“Fining us is not the recipe to success — education is,” said Kurt Gutenbrunner, owner of Blaue Gans, where Quinn announced the changes.