DANBURY — A series of new and increased health department fees on businesses received their first endorsement from city leaders this week.

Fees paid by certain businesses, restaurants and hotels cover the cost of required safety and sanitation inspections — often several hundred dollars — would rise by 100 percent or more.

It also would assess fees for new inspections at barber shops, hair and nail salons and other personal care businesses, said Lisa Morrissey, the city’s director of health and human services.

“Even with these increases, we wouldn’t necessarily break even on what it costs to conduct these inspections,” Morrissey said. “This is just about trying to get the department closer to being self-supported, in addition to the grants and additional monies we receive to try to keep people safe.”

A three-member committee of the City Council including John Priola, Ben Chianese and Mike Esposito unanimously recommended approving the increases. The full council is expected to consider them this summer.

The biggest addition to the fees is the new structure for body-care facilities, Morrissey said.

The city traditionally has inspected salons or tattoo parlors, for example, after a referral from state health officials about a suspected issue or confirmation of an illness, Morrissey said.

“We’ve been very reactive in that way, and we’d like to switch that around to be proactive,” she said.

City officials are drafting a new ordinance requiring regular inspections for all such facilities, and the proposed fees are part of that package. That proposal should be completed before the end of the calendar year, Morrissey said.

If approved, the inspection fees would be $300 per year for a single business or $500 for an establishment that combines services, like a larger hair and nail salon.

Some existing fees will increase to similar levels under the recommendations, such as those for septic permits, repairs and plan reviews.

Inspection fees for public pools open year-round, like those in hotels, would double, from $250 per pool to $500 per pool.

Hotel licensing and inspections, which are required by state law, would increase to $35 per room on top of a $250 base fee — up from just $8 per room with no base fee. That’s more than the $100 to $125 fees in Waterbury and Bridgeport but less than the $400-plus charged in Greenwich and Stamford, according to health department data.

“Just being candid, there’s a lot of pushback,” Morrissey said. “The hotel community already feel that they have to do a fire inspection, so having to do a health inspection is not really their favorite.”

The proposal also includes changes to food safety inspection programs, which are currently based on the size of the operation. The new fees jump to $450 for most food-service establishments, from $250 and $300, and also consider those with vulnerable clientele, like children or the elderly, Morrissey said.

But that still won’t cover the $720 average cost of inspecting a typical large restaurant, she added.

Without the increases, the department would have to cut back on other services that are not required but are still important, such as its educational programs at local schools, Morrissey said.

Morrissey has said she would be open to phasing in the new fee schedule over the next two years, but members on the committee did not give their views on that possibility. They will discuss implementation with the full council this summer.

zach.murdock@hearstmediact.com