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1 RiversideCA.gov
1 RiversideCA.gov
SIDEWALK VENDING AND FOOD
TRUCK UPDATE
City Council
January 16, 2024
Community & Economic Development
Department
RiversideCA.gov
2 1. Senate Bill 946 establishing si dewalk vending regulations in the State of California was adopted in January 2020.
2. Riverside Municipal Code Chapter 5.38 was amended in December 2021 to comply with new State Law and regulates sidewalk and pedestrian vending activity.
3. Shortly thereafter, the City adopted amendments to the Mobile Vending (Food Truck) ordinance – RMC 5.36 –
significantly broadening allowances for food truck operations throughout the City
BACKGROUND
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2 RiversideCA.gov
3 1. During April 2023 update, Council requested additional update to include:
a. Local “best practices” survey
b. Impounding equipment/cookware
c. English/Spanish Violation Notices
DISCUSSION
RiversideCA.gov
4 BEST PRACTICES SURVEY
ANAHEIM ONTARIO POMONA SAN
BERN.
RIVERSIDE
Sidewalk vendors
allowed
X X X X X
Outreach/education
program
X X X X X
Dedicated vendor
team
X
7 day/week
enforcement
X
Partners with
Health Dept.
X X X
Issues Admin.
Citations
X X X X
Food Trucks
allowed
X X X X
Confiscates
food/perishables
X X X
Staff safety
issues/threats
X X X X
“Best Practices” survey of local jurisdiction found that Riverside had the most comprehensive and robust
sidewalk vendor outreach and enforcement protocol.
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5 IMPOUNDING EQUIPMENT
City Code Enforcement Staff are not authorized to impound cooking equipment under sidewalk vending ordinance:
a. California Health and Safety Code intends to “occupy the while field of health and sanitation standards for retail food facilities” Local agencies cannot then adopt ordinances that supplant or circumvent H&S Code.
b. The California Retail Food Code has clear requirements that enforcement officer be “registered environmental health specialists” Code Enforcement Officers do not meet those requirements
c. The California Government Code rela ted to sidewalk vendors prescribes Administrative Fines as the ONLY available enforcement method.
RiversideCA.gov
6 IMPOUNDING EQUIPMENT
City Code Enforcement Staff is authorized to summarily abate public nuisances:
a. In cases of manifest public danger and/or immediate necessity. b. The Building Official or the Code Enforcement Manager, or their designees, have the authority to immediately abate any public nuisance which presents an immediate threat to public health or safety. 5 6
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4 RiversideCA.gov
7 ENGLISH/SPANISH TRANSLATION
RiversideCA.gov
8 STATISTICS
31 active vendor
permits for sidewalk
vendors
22 active business tax
certificates for Food
Trucks
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5 RiversideCA.gov
9 STATISTICS
Feb 2023 ‐
August 2023
July
2022 ‐
Feb
2023
Jan
2022 ‐
July
2022
WARD
1927121
171482
1941203
1729174
1630155
93136346
3835137
231553119TOTAL
0 50
100
150
200
250
300
WARD 1W A R D 2W A R D 3W A R D 4W A R D 5W A R D 6W A R D 7 311 Complaints Via Ward
Jan 2022‐July 2022 July 2022‐Feb 2023 Feb 2023‐Aug 2023 RiversideCA.gov
10 STATISTICS
1)Number of sidewalk vendors contacted proactively: 913 2)Administrative Citations issued to sidewalk vendors: 219 3)Number of Food Truck complaints: 11
4)Administrative Citations issued to Food Trucks: 3
5)Pounds of hazardous food abated 43,135 lbs
6)Number of joint City/County enforcement operations: 6 9 10
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11 OBSERVATIONS
1. Majority of unpermitted vendors are stationary taco vendors from Los Angeles or surrounding areas – not Riverside.
2. Many vendors connected to one operator who “opens” several locations at a time in Riverside
3. Operators have been coached not to cooperate with City Officials
4. Some vendors appear to be making an attempt to adjust to enforcement methods, employ lookouts and have a roaming “replenishment” truck to avoid food confiscation.
RiversideCA.gov
12 STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
#3 Economic Opportunity
Community Trust
Equity
Fiscal Responsibility
Innovation
Sustainability &
Resiliency
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7 RiversideCA.gov
13 RECOMMENDATIONS
That the City Council:
1. Receive and file an update on education and
enforcement efforts related to the City’s Sidewalk
Vending and Food Truck Ordinances.
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