BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. — One day after threatening to close the Welcome Inn in Blue Springs for "repeated violations," the Jackson County Environmental Health Department accepted an appeal to keep the roach-infested hotel open if it undertake promised renovations.
The motel, which has been the focus of past 41 Action News stories for unsanitary conditions, failed county inspections "for roach activity and housekeeping issues" six times since June 24 in 2019 alone, according to a Food Safety and Environmental Health Notice of Violation.
Additional inspection reports show complaints dating back to October 2018.
"I was walking around and I looked at this table here and there was a couple roaches and I was like, 'When you see one or two, there's a few," Tiffany Green, who contacted 41 Action News in October, said.
According to county documents, the Welcome Inn has been flagged for violations on June 24, Sept. 3, Oct. 5, Oct. 15 and Nov. 4.
Jackson County health inspectors wrote a letter Nov. 12, which demanded corrective action and said all rooms will be reinspected on Monday, Nov. 18. The letter warned: "If violations are found during the re-inspection the establishment will be closed for failure to operate in a safe sanitary manner."
The Welcome Inn appealed the notice on Nov. 13 and offered a plan for fixing the motel's numerous problems.
According to the letter, the motel has hired two additional cleaners and promises to renovate 45 rooms every 60 days until all 168 rooms have been renovated. The motel said it plans to have the renovations completed by August 1, 2020.
The Welcome Inn also said it has contracted with Terminix for a better plan to eradicate its roach problem.
Starting next week, rooms numbers in the 100s and 600s will get treated the first Friday each month, 400s and 500s will be treated the second Friday, and 200s and 300s will be treated on the third Friday. Any rooms that remain problematic will be retreated on the fourth Friday.
"The prior spraying regiment wasn't effective as we weren't trapping the bugs," ," the Welcome Inn wrote in its appeal letter. "When we would spray the 100's, we would get complaints about the 600's. We have started a new spraying routine to better trap the bugs and will continue this after the clean out."
The motel also promised to inspect all rooms at least once per week and force guests to keep rooms free of clutter.
Additionally, the Welcome Inn has requested a monthly meeting with the county health department on the second Tuesday each month.
The Welcome Inn's management would not comment on the appeal or plan to 41 Action News.
Although the county accepted the Welcome Inn's appeal in a letter dated Nov. 14, it warned that "any deviation from this appeal that results in an imminent health hazard will be cause for immediate closure."
