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Monrovia council asks staff to study stronger enforcement and support options for sidewalk vendors
Summary
After a staff presentation on vendor categories and enforcement limits tied to state law, the Monrovia City Council directed staff to return with options including impoundment authority, staffing/contracting, storage logistics and potential incentive pathways for compliance.
Monrovia — The Monrovia City Council on March 18 directed city staff to research options to strengthen enforcement of unpermitted sidewalk vendors and to return with implementation details, following a staff presentation about current vendor categories, public-health risks and enforcement limits under state law.
Neighborhood and Business Services Manager Jocelyn Blakely told the council the city has about five licensed peddlers and 10 licensed mobile food vendors but that sidewalk vendors are the group posing the greatest enforcement challenge. “We used to be able to cite people with misdemeanor citations,” Blakely said. “Now we’re only able to give administrative fines.”
Blakely told the council that recent sweeps found three to five sidewalk vendors operating without permits on a given day and that the city’s enforcement is constrained by State Bill 946 and by limited staffing and county health-department availability. She described the administrative fine schedule in the city’s ordinance as $250 for a first violation, $500 for a second within the same year and $1,000 for a third.
The council heard staff identify a range of public-health and safety concerns tied to unpermitted vending: lack of refrigeration and hand-washing facilities, potential grease or contamination on sidewalks, open flames or fuel tanks used for cooking, and blocked ADA access. Blakely said the county health department can confiscate and dispose of unsafe food, but that role is conditional on county capacity and scheduling.
Council members raised enforcement and equity questions at the study session. Several members said they supported exploring stronger enforcement while also creating pathways to compliance for vendors who want to operate legally. Staff and council discussed options Blakely outlined, including revising the city ordinance to add impoundment authority, contracting for after-hours or weekend enforcement, creating a city-hosted vending site or market to reduce insurance and permit barriers, and possible incentive measures such as fine waivers tied to obtaining a license.
Blakely noted administrative and logistical hurdles the city would face if it adopted impoundment authority, including the need for secure storage, tagging and return procedures and possible fees for recovering impounded items. She and councilmembers said staff would consult legal counsel and gather examples from neighboring cities; Blakely cited Covina, Orange and El Monte as jurisdictions that have used impoundment in some form.
Councilmembers asked for cost and operational details to be included in the staff return: storage and staffing costs, contractual options for after-hours enforcement, how evidence and property would be handled, and whether hosting city-run vending locations could reduce the insurance burden vendors identified as a barrier. Blakely said Monrovia’s business license fee is $177; the county health-permit fee was described as “not specified” in the presentation.
The council did not vote on a change of policy at the meeting. Instead, it directed staff to research and return with a report comparing enforcement alternatives, associated logistics and estimated costs so councilmembers could consider ordinance changes and other support or sanction options.
The council recessed into closed session after the discussion. Staff said it would return with options and recommended language for future council consideration.
