ELON MUSK'S EATS RUN AFOUL OF COUNTY HEALTH DEPT.

Special to EL Rrun-Rrun

They started feeding the work force at SpaceX on Boca Chica with food trucks, the former Mayor Tony Martinez's 1848 Restaurant notable among them.

Then, when that didn't suffice, Musk had an eatery built next to the old store (the Elon Musk Entertainment Center) at the top of the curve toward the beach. However, Cameron County has some requirements dealing with health and food preparation that somehow eluded the Musk team.

The new building was to be styled along plans for a restaurant but some workers said they had neglected to get building permits, zero plumbing permits, zero gas permits. A similar construction inside the UTRGV Stargate also lacked the building permits, they reported. Workers report that inside the old STargate fac ility it is selling all kinds of drinks and food shipped in from California, avoiding paying taxes in Texas or Cameron County.

To demonstrate their intent to apply county health and engineering rules to SpaceX, the inspectors – instead of issuing a 48-hour warning to fix the problems, they shut them down completely February 5.

The county shut it down citing numerous violations of its building and permitting process. 

As a result, the company has once again reverted to using old food trucks without ventilation, grease traps or running water, and no sanitation facilities to wash their hands. The hazards for workers of a fire, explosion or carbon monoxide poisoning are obvious. 

After Musk's people huddled with county officials, they think they have reached a compromise that will allow for SpaceX to run a kitchen to feed its workforce which is working around the clock in shifts. Benavides estimates that hundreds of workers are working on the site.

"We are going to get a report during our next meeting," said Pct. 1 commissioner Sofia Benavides. "We feel that we have resolved some of the issues the engineering and health department found out there."

That was the restaurant built at the store, but others say that there is a cafeteria in the UTRGV Stargate building, which Musk has purchased from the university. 

But that cafeteria is inside the fenced area and no one knows whether that has been inspected by county health inspectors. Benavides said she was not aware whether SpaceX has complied with the county regulations or whether the cafeteria even exists inside the gates.

The requirements for a temporary food permit are not simple. Take a gander for a partial list of the rules that must be followed by those applying for one.

To initiate the application process: 

1. Application (Application will be completed by CCPH staff) a. Application should be filled with applicant’s personal information and information of the mobile unit or vehicle towing food trailer. 

2. Food Menu a. Food menu should be typed or printed and it should specify what products would be sold in the business (i.e. tacos, hamburgers, corn, nachos, ice cream, sodas, pre-packaged items). Any changes made in the future should be notified to the department and a new menu should be submitted into the office. 

3. Food Receipts a. If available during application process receipts can be turned in or they will be requested during the field inspection. 

4. Letter of authorization a. If the business is located within a municipality, you must request permission to operate inside city limits; a letter signed with a statement allowing you to operate will be issued and turned in along with your application. 

5. List of Individuals Preparing Food a. List of individuals preparing food (must include names, addresses and home phone numbers). *Note your list must include what the individual has prepared and what ingredients they used. If not cooked on site, food needs to be obtained from an approved source and you will need to show receipts during field inspection. Individuals preparing food must wear protective gear (hairnet/cap) and use gloves when handling food. 

6. List of Individuals Serving Food a. List of individuals serving food (must include names, addresses and home phone numbers). *Note the individuals serving must wear protective head gear (hairnet/cap) and use gloves when handling food. 

7. List of Individuals Collecting Money/Tickets a. List of individuals collecting money or tickets (must include names, addresses and home phone numbers). * Note the individuals handling money or tickets must not handle any food. 

8. Fee a. The Temporary health permit fee for one day is $25.00 or $50.00 for 2-14 days (permit cannot exceed 14 days) in the form of cash, check or money order only. Payable to the Cameron County Imprest Fund. Non-profit organizations must provide a copy of tax exemption document. The fees are non-refundable.  

Note: In accordance to the Cameron County Public Health Codes, establishments operating without a valid health permit will be cited with a class C misdemeanor by the local Justice of the Peace and each day on which a violation occurs constitutes a separate offense.