ABOUT WEIGHTS & MEASURES

MISSION STATEMENT

Weights and Measures is committed to protecting the economic health of the community by preserving and maintaining confidence in the accuracy of weighing and measuring instruments, product standards, and business practices used in commerce. Through this balanced commitment and timely response to citizen requests, consumers and businesses are assured the means of accurate value comparison and fair competition.

HISTORY

Weights and Measures is mandated by state law to protect the interests of the buyer and seller to ensure honesty and integrity of everyday business transactions. This protection is accomplished through our continuous and systematic inspection of all equipment that weighs or measures a commodity that is sold. Every transaction involving the exchange of goods, property, and service is affected in a very vital way by some form of weights and measures.

John Quincy Adams once said “Weights and Measures may be ranked among the necessaries of life to every individual of human society. They enter into the economical arrangements and daily concerns of every family. They are necessary to every occupation of human industry; to the distribution and security of every species of property; to every transaction of trade and commerce; to the labors of husbandman; to the ingenuity of the artificer; to the studies of the philosopher; to the researches of the antiquarian; to the navigation of the mariner and the marches of the soldier; to all the exchanges of peace, and all the operations of war. The knowledge of them as in established use, is among the first elements of education and is often learned by those who learn nothing else, not even to read and write. This knowledge is riveted in the memory by the habitual application of it to the employments of men throughout life.

Weights and Measures began in Sonoma County in 1916, nationally the first Weights and Measures law dates back to March 2, 1799. Sonoma County Weights and Measures consist of a staff of five inspectors, now titled Standards Specialist, headed by Sealer John Westoby and Chief Deputy Mark Hanson. In 1980's the Weights and Measures Department was consolidated with the Department of Agriculture as part of a national trend. The Division budget is 70% general fund and 30% user fees and equals about $`1.00 per citizen per year. The County programs are supported by the California Division of Measurement Standards and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Violation of Weights and Measures laws are criminal misdemeanors. The Sealer can levy civil penalties up to $1000 per violation. Civil actions filed by the District Attorney can amount to $5,000 per count. Inspections are conducted unannounced so the device or business practice is evaluated on an “as used” basis.

The Standards Specialists are licensed by the State of California in three areas, Weight Verification, Measurement Verification and Transaction and Product Verification. Inspectors who drive the heavy capacity weight truck and trailer must also have a valid Class A drivers license. Inspectors who tow the propane meter testing unit must also qualify for a hazardous materials endorsement. Management positions require additional licenses such as a deputy sealer license and a sealer license.

The main programs are:

WEIGHT VERIFICATION:

Generally all commercially used weighing devices are tested for accuracy. In addition to being accurate, devices must adhere to specific design and installation requirements, and be used correctly. The most familiar types of devices are the scales used at store check stands. As we enter the 21 century, technology is rapidly changing. Many scales now are interfaced with computers. The Standards Specialist now must inspect “Systems” which can consist of multiple components such as a remote readout, a cash register, a printer, a receipt, software and invoices.

WEIGHMASTER:

A Weighmaster is a person who weighs, measures, or counts a bulk commodity, outside of the presence one party to the transaction, and issues a certificate documenting the quantity that is used as the basis of a sale. Weighmaster can be the buyer, seller, or third party. Weighmaster activities are monitored and compliance is verified through the utilization of routine record audits, tare verifications and occasional test sales or purchases. Diverse businesses such as wineries, cement plants, scrap metal yards, dairy co-ops, moving and storage companies, livestock dealers, quarries, and feed mills are all weighmaster.

MEASUREMENT VERIFICATION:

Instruments used to determine volume, distance, dimensions, and time are all measuring devices. The device that people are most familiar with is the gas pump. Inside the cabinet is a meter that determines the quantity of fuel dispensed. Standards Specialists test each meter by dispensing five gallons at the fast(or open) speed then five gallons at the slow(restricted) speed into calibrated measures, compare the monetary computations, check that the tamper-proof seal on the meter adjustment is intact, and other details required in the Examination Procedure Outline distributed by Measurement Standards. Other measuring devices include taximeters, wire and rope meters; wholesale water meters; oil meters; timers in car washes, laundromats, parking garages, milk tanks and propane meters. Each meter type requires its own special test equipment; a taxi test wheel; calibrated tape measures; test vessels and a stopwatch.

Utility meters such as electric, gas, and water, used in mobile home parks are routinely tested. Each examination tests the meters ability to accurately register at full and light loads and other specifications(as outlined in the EPO) The installation of the meter directly affects performance. Wiring and meter connections are vital to correct metering of electricity, while plumbing and level installations of gas vapor and water meters are important to their accuracy. The computations of bills, using correct rate schedules, is also verified.

Calibrations can be either dry or liquid. We test our field standards against our office standards to maintain a chain of accuracy. Our standards are verified by California Measurements periodically for accuracy.

TRANSACTION AND PRODUCT VERIFICATION

QUANTITY CONTROL - Packaged Commodities: This program visits packers, distributors and retailers to audit the contents of packaged products. The contents must equal the amount stated on the label. Routine inspections of meat counters, bakeries, and deli sections of supermarkets are conducted. Samples of packages are taken and reweighed using the county’s scale or measured in calibrated flasks. The labeled amount and the true net contents are compared. Some commodities require special test methods and are given certain allowances for moisture loss, and individual variances are factored in. Every type of commodity is subject to quantity control inspection, not just food items. Categories of commodities tested include: packaged seed and garden products, bread and bakery items, cheese and dairy products, farm products and supplies, building materials and maintenance supplies, feed and grain, and automotive and industrial lubricants, chemicals, and cleaners. The State Division assigns commodity categories to different counties on a quarterly basis, so the same categories of products are inspected over a wide geographic area.

QUANTITY CONTROL- - Scanners

Were you charged the lowest advertised price? Describes this portion of the program. Bar code readers, scanners, and price look-up systems have replaced individual prices on items. Price verification consists of periodic simulated purchases at businesses utilizing scanners, or point-of- sale systems, in an effort to eliminate unfair competition and “bait and switch” activities. This area has become more important because many or all stores of national chains determine their pricing through a central computer; an error in one store is an error in them all. Test purchases of other commodities, such as deli items, health foods, hardware, landscape materials, u-haul concrete, and firewood are also conducted, as are test sales of recyclables. Firewood dealers are required to leave an invoice with their name, address, date and amount of wood delivered. Any shortage from the amount invoiced is a violation.

PETROLEUM

The petroleum program assures proper representation of product purity, octane, and overall quality through field sampling and laboratory testing. Gasoline is monitored for water contamination at every service station. A pump found dispensing any amount of water is closed and sealed shut until the contamination has been purged from the system. Official samples of products are collected and sent to the State lab, and we can monitor for certain contaminants using our own equipment. Labeling and price sign advertising are also regulated and standardized under this program . Proper labeling, storage and handling of transmission fluid, brake fluid and engine coolant is also monitored.

Prior to 1985 the cost of operating all our programs was less than one dollar per capita. However, in recent years, we’ve had to recover some of our costs through a device registration program, where device owners pay an annual fee to help offset the cost of testing their devices. This is in the one program area only: devices, and only provides some reimbursement. The annual fee is $20.00 for one device and increases for additional devices. Additionally, mobile home parks and similar establishments are charged $1.00 per meter at each space, sometimes amounting to hundreds of devices within a park (water, electric and gas); and our cost of testing these far exceeds the dollar per meter. Additionally, Weights and Measures receive State revenue for a weighmaster license fee,a mill tax on motor oil and a device repairmen registration fee that is paid to the state for recovering some of their costs in enforcement.

Our office receives approximately 300 complaints annually. Of these about a third are utility- type complaints and a third are split between petroleum quality and firewood quantity. The remaining third will deal with everything from product labeling to scanner overcharges.

We encourage consumers to call our office as soon as possible if they experience a Weights and Measures problem so we can act in a timely manner. Most of the time we find just as many errors to the disadvantage of the seller as of the buyer. Generally we find that most Sonoma County businesses do a good job in self-monitoring themselves and that makes our job a lot easier.