Jurupa Valley council clears first reading of mobile-vending code rewrite, sets phased enforcement and impound rules

The Jurupa Valley City Council on June 26 introduced and conducted a first reading of a comprehensive amendment to the city's mobile vending code, authorizing a modernized permitting system, phased enforcement and new impoundment procedures.

City planner Joe Perez, who led the staff presentation, told the council the rewrite updates local code to reflect recent state law and the council's direction. The draft ordinance clarifies definitions for vending units (produce stands, pushcarts, mobile food prep units), establishes a 12-month permit regime, and distinguishes vending on private property from vending in the public right-of-way. Perez said the text also adds an appeal process and directs that fees tied to the program be set later by council resolution.

Key enforcement steps and penalties: Staff described a phased enforcement approach: an initial three-week education period distributing materials and in-person outreach; a second three-week period in which citations will be issued; and a full enforcement phase after those six weeks that can include impoundment of unsafe or unpermitted equipment. The ordinance authorizes impoundment of perishable unsafe items immediately and nonperishable goods after established notice and inventory procedures; impounded goods can be held seven to 60 days and are retrievable after the owner pays any storage or impound fees and completes a short educational session.

Other provisions include a 5-foot accessible path requirement on sidewalks, specific time/place/manner restrictions (for example, vendors prohibited between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. and within 300 feet of schools during school hours), a ban on vending from a vehicle trunk that faces the public street, and new rules for group vending sites. Group sites '' which allow multiple vendors to operate at a shared location '' would require a site development permit if operated six or more days in a 12-month period and must supply adequate parking, restroom/waste systems and the traffic circulation needed for safe operation.

Staff and council emphasized coordination with other agencies. Perez said food vendors must retain Riverside County Environmental Health permits; the city's permit complements but does not replace county health approvals. The ordinance also cites SB 946 and other state provisions that limit local authority in certain vendor matters.

Council discussion and changes: Council members pressed staff on protections for local brick-and-mortar businesses, mechanisms to ensure event vendors present valid business registrations, and protections for potentially vulnerable vendors who may be working for third-party operators. Perez and staff said state law restricts some categories of local controls (for example, banning vendors within a fixed radius of existing businesses) but that the city will pursue programs to support existing small businesses and provide clearer enforcement pathways.

Next steps: The council approved the ordinance's first reading 5-0 and directed staff to return with a second-reading ordinance that may incorporate additional clarifications discussed at the June 26 meeting, and to bring a separate fee resolution to set permit and impoundment charges. Perez said two full-time code-enforcement officers and a dedicated sheriff's deputy have been hired and will begin weekend and evening enforcement as the program phases in.

Ending: The ordinance will return for a second reading and adoption at a future meeting; staff will begin incremental outreach and education before citation and impoundment activity begins.