Board orders county-led task force on unlawful roadside and sidewalk vending, six-month review

Santa Barbara — The Board of Supervisors on March 4 directed county staff to form an interagency task force anchored in the County Executive Office to address unlawful roadside and sidewalk vending and report back within six months.

Supervisor Joan Hartman introduced the item and asked Gina Fisher, her chief of staff, to present a detailed briefing showing public-health, sanitation and traffic risks tied to unpermitted vending. Fisher and Environmental Health staff showed photographs and temperature readings they said demonstrated food-handling hazards — uncovered cooked rice, unrefrigerated meats and filth inside vendor vans — and explained limits in enforcement created by state law (SB 946 and SB 972) that decriminalized many vending activities and eased permitting for certain low-risk food carts.

Environmental Health reported ongoing inspections and seizure actions in partnership with law enforcement but said enforcement is difficult because vendors sometimes refuse to provide identifying information and the first civil response is limited to a written warning. The department has begun seizing unsafe food and pointed out that seized items must be stored for a statutory holding period, a practical constraint that requires refrigerator/freezer capacity.

Public commenters — including neighborhood groups, restaurant owners and community organizations — urged stronger enforcement, noting public-safety problems, illegal dumping of grease into storm drains and competition with permitted businesses. Several residents and business owners said unpermitted vendors come from outside the county and that operations sometimes involve large, coordinated vehicle fleets.

Supervisors supported an approach that coordinates authorities with the sheriff, CHP, Caltrans, district attorney and neighboring counties; the motion asks the CEO’s office to convene the task force, make the effort time-limited (six months), and return with recommended enforcement steps and potential funding needs. The board’s motion specifically directed the CEO’s office to lead the effort and instructed staff to prioritize tools for confiscation and storage of unsafe food, identify legal avenues for equipment seizures, and explore coordination with Ventura County and others with existing pilots.

Supervisor Hartman moved the staff recommendation; the board approved it and asked that any near-term requests for equipment, storage or overtime be returned to the board for consideration. Environmental Health noted it will continue night and weekend inspections with bilingual staff and partner agencies while the task force refines a coordinated plan.