Anaheim officials have declared war on unlicensed street vendors, with a firm crackdown on anyone hawking their goods on city streets and sidewalks without a permit. Enforcement has been a challenge due to the partnership required with Orange County inspectors, but a new ordinance on the table aims to change all that. Set for City Council deliberation this Tuesday evening, the rule would empower city staff to conduct solo raids and impound equipment – a bold move to preserve public health and safety.
As reported by KTLA 5, the proposed ordinance addresses a loophole in current law that limits city inspectors to the presence of county officials when citing vendors. These restrictions also bind them to a mere two days of enforcement per week, a frequency deemed inadequate by city spokesperson Erin Ryan. According to Ryan, the goal is to wield the authority "to impound equipment and any merchandise and dispose of any food that's not safe for anyone to eat" without needing to wait for county approval. Anaheim's streets are a bustling marketplace, with vendors selling everything from tacos to telecom services without the necessary paperwork in places.
The issue at hand isn't just about permits; it's a matter of accessibility and ensuring sidewalks are safe and useable for all. Under the proposed legislation, vendors would need to leave a clear 36-inch path, yet as Erin Ryan highlighted in an interview with the Orange County Register, these passages are often compromised by the informal setups. The city's crackdown is not just about the trappings of trade but about the free flow of pedestrian traffic itself.
Despite a steep rise in unlicensed vending following California's decriminalization of the practice in 2018, not a single sidewalk food vendor in Anaheim has secured the proper permit, and only a handful of flower sellers have done so. The city is explicit in its stance, banning tents for vendors and ensuring that umbrellas, if used, don’t egregiously infringe accessible space, depending on location. Besides layout constraints, the mandate also covers waste management, barring vendors from tying down goods to public fixtures and requiring appropriate disposal for refuse such as grease. The new rules serve as a framework for commerce to coexist with community standards.
With civil enforcement intensified over the past year – a brisk leap to six days of surveillance from its former two – Anaheim has shown it means business. Citing a tally of 423 infractions in 2023 versus 141 the prior year, the city signals its resolve; however, according to Ryan, confiscation is only to be employed when a vendor defies the direct order to pack up and leave. The updated law would strip away some hurdles for permit acquisition, yet the message to the street-side entrepreneur is clear: comply, or your gear gets the boot.
