State Requires County to Regulate Roadside Vendors
- Susan Heavilin
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
State law now requires the County to adopt a program by ordinance or resolution to regulate roadside vendors.
7. County Roadside Vending Draft Ordinance - Unregulated roadside vending has become an item of concern for health, safety, and welfare of Unincorporated County Communities. Constituents have been in contact with the San Diego County Sheriff, California Highway Patrol, San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality, and San Diego County Department of Public Works regarding this issue. State law now requires the County to adopt a program by ordinance or resolution to regulate roadside vendors. The adopted program can only regulate vendors as it directly relates to objective health, safety, or welfare concerns. If adopted, this program would require all roadside vendors to obtain a permit to vend within the County road right-of-way with restrictions to time place and manner as it directly relates to objective health, safety, and/or welfare concerns. The County is seeking constructive comments and/or support from community groups, residents, and community organizations on the drafted ordinance establishing a roadside vending permitting program - Presented by Chair Felix.
Apparently Chair Felix Felix has never belonged to a book club. If you haven't either, let me clarify that statement. The book club members decide on a book to read and discuss. They go home, read the book and come to the next meeting prepared to discuss the book.
I know that the draft ordinance was emailed out with the Agenda for April 7, 2026. I received my own copy and read it, all nine pages. It was a whopper.
The meeting was already past ending time at 9:00pm and many board members might have been past their bedtime. I know that board members Tony and Judy Tieber shuffled out before the ordinance was read. (The meeting was paused when their leaving caused a slight disruption because the tables and chairs are tight).
So at 9PM, Chair Felix started reading.
That's correct, Chair Felix read the entire nine-page document to the board members and audience. It was tortuous. It was equivalent to going to a book club meeting and having the host read you the entire book.
If you have not seen the ordinance, it appears below.
Ordinance to establish roadside vending regulations | Click on images to enlarge
Needless to say, discussion was limited because its hard to think when your eyes are rolling back into your head. Nevertheless, some discussion took place.
Many of the board members stated that it would never be policed, no matter how many regulations were created. Not much is currently being enforced in our community. That was the main consensus.
Time restraints and hours of operation were also discussed . . . along with placement on sidewalks as to not interfere with foot traffic. As for food safety, it was stated that a food handler's license would be near impossible to require and customers should partake at their own risk.
Speaking in public comment, I stated my opinion that these are commercial venues (making money) and thus, should operate in the commercial districts. It is too dangerous to have customers stepping off the curb into traffic to run across the street and cars parking and blocking traffic flow in residential areas.
Board member Penni Wilson-Neely spoke at length on how she thought we should live and let live. Let them be. The vendors are just trying to make a living.
I thought I had spoken quietly to my friend when I said "move them to Frisbee Street" (the road between the 7/Eleven and the old La Finca Restaurant, renamed Nectar). Obviously, my voice was louder than I thought because half the room chuckled at my comment and Ms. Wilson-Neely cried out "No!" She lives in proximity to Frisbee Street and was pro vendors, but apparently not in her neighborhood (NMBY). If you're not familiar with the term NMBY, it stands for "Not in My Back Yard."
As this was a Non-Action item, it was not voted on. The purpose of this agenda item was simply to discuss the proposed ordinance.
Comments