Pierce County is considering a crackdown on unpermitted food vendors, and KIRO hosts Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin said the proposal protects public health and the businesses that follow the rules.
Pierce County Councilmember Dave Morell said vendors without health permits can sell potentially unsafe food and undercut businesses that follow the rules. His proposal would restrict where and when unpermitted vendors can operate. It would ban them from public streets and sidewalks and prohibit them from operating between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
The proposal would also let the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office enforce the rules and impound equipment. Owners could face a gross misdemeanor, up to $5,000 in penalties and as much as 364 days in jail…