Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mobile Vending topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Manhattan Beach council introduces permit rules for mobile vendors, sets Nov. 4 fee review
Summary
Council voted to introduce an ordinance creating a one‑year mobile vending business permit covering food and non‑food vendors, with operating rules on hours, placement, ADA access and progressive fines; staff will return Nov. 4 with fees and the second reading.
The Manhattan Beach City Council on Oct. 21 introduced an ordinance to create a mobile vending business permit that would regulate food trucks and other mobile vendors on public streets.
The draft ordinance, presented by Community Development Director Masa Alky and traffic engineer Eric Xandle, would require vendors to hold a one‑year city permit in addition to state and county approvals, proof of liability and auto insurance, and would subject vendors to progressive fines and permit revocation after multiple notices. Xandle said the change is needed because California law broadly allows street vending but permits local regulation for public‑safety reasons.
Under the draft rules, vendors would be barred from parking in public parking lots, bicycle lanes or landscaped non‑paved areas; they could not stop within 50 feet of a controlled intersection (150 feet at uncontrolled intersections for sight‑distance safety); streets with greater than 5% slope would be off limits to vending to protect accessibility; vendors must maintain a minimum five‑foot pedestrian path and provide trash and recycling receptacles; and hours would be 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. generally, with 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in residential zones.
Xandle said the permit would allow code enforcement to track repeat violations, using license plates and notice records so the city can move beyond issuing parking tickets that some vendors treat as a cost of doing business. He described a progressive citation schedule and a revocation process after four notices, with appeal rights following municipal code procedures.
Council members pressed staff on enforcement logistics — whom residents should call and how police and code enforcement will coordinate for weekend coverage — and asked for plain‑language public guidance. Council member Hoorth asked for special outreach to downtown merchants and event organizers. Downtown Business Association representatives said they supported the framework but emphasized enforcement consistency.
Alky said the city had discussed the draft with the Chamber of Commerce and downtown business groups and modeled some provisions on the sidewalk vending code. Staff will return on Nov. 4 for a second reading and to present the permit application fee and the penalty schedule.
The council voted to introduce the ordinance; the vote was unanimous. The ordinance was numbered 25‑000011 and staff advised the council the Nov. 4 meeting will include the fee schedule and final adoption steps.
