Vacaville council studies sidewalk-vending ordinance after county sweeps find food-safety problems

Vacaville City Council received a study-session briefing on sidewalk vending and asked staff to return with a draft ordinance and fee schedule that would follow state law while addressing local health, safety and pedestrian-access concerns.

Assistant City Attorney Annie Branham opened the presentation by defining sidewalk vending as nonmotorized vending on public sidewalks and right-of-way, distinguishing that activity from motorized mobile vendors such as food trucks. "When we talk about sidewalk vendors, we're talking about people vending on public property," Branham said, adding that stationary and roaming nonmotorized vendors fall under the state rules and the city—s proposed ordinance would address the public-right-of-way category.

Why it matters: statewide changes since 2018 removed criminal penalties for sidewalk vending and narrowed local enforcement tools for food-safety violations. Branham told the council that SB 946 (2018) "decriminalized sidewalk vending" while preserving the city's ability to adopt civil time, place and manner restrictions; SB 972 (2022) further limited municipal authority over enforcement tied to the California Retail Food Code, leaving much food-safety enforcement to the county.

City and public-safety staff described…