New Kern County District 2 supervisor meets Taft; city leaders raise unpermitted vendor concerns ahead of Oildorado

Kern County District 2 Supervisor Chris Parlier introduced himself to Taft residents at the Jan. 7 City Council meeting and said his office is available to assist the city. Parlier introduced his field representative, Paul Yanez, and said he would attend local meetings and present a certificate to the Kiwanis Club’s centennial.

During the public-comment portion that followed, a resident and community event organizer described a problem with unpermitted vendors at recent parades. The speaker said many mobile vendors operated without permits during the city’s parade, selling food from carts and obstructing views and crowd flow; the speaker thanked Officer Brian McClure for attempting to corral them but urged the city to take stronger measures ahead of the larger Oildorado parade in October.

The speaker asked for stronger enforcement and suggested the city consider taking unpermitted vendors’ carts as a deterrent; council members cautioned there may be legal and logistical challenges but agreed the issue warranted attention. Councilmember Kreier, Councilmember Chavera and others said they would follow up and work with police and staff to minimize unpermitted vendors at future events. Parlier said he would help as needed and noted his office could assist with community cleanups and event organization.

No formal directive or ordinance change was adopted at the meeting; council members discussed potential next steps and requested staff input on ways to prevent and manage unpermitted vending at large community events.