A grand jury report highlighted the challenges of enforcing against unpermitted street vendors in Santa Barbara County, with an investigation finding that unpermitted vending has become “so commonplace” that the Health Department doesn’t have enough resources to enforce even the existing food safety requirements.
The report details a dramatic growth of street vendors operating illegally, either without permits or with unsanitary and hazardous conditions. The grand jury also found other issues caused by the proliferation of unpermitted street vendors, such as other businesses reporting a loss in income due to the encroachment of illegal vendors.
Recent changes to state laws limited the penalties and enforcement against street vendors, which have been popping up in the form of roadside “tent restaurants,” food trucks, and sidewalk pushcarts. The grand jury report said this type of open-air mobile food vending “surged to unprecedented levels throughout Santa Barbara County in recent years,” and the report calls on county leaders to provide more funding to allow for enforcement and more frequent inspections…