Sidewalk Food Vendor Compliance Improving In Santa Barbara County, Enforcement Still Needed

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) - The outreach effort for Santa Barbara County’s Sidewalk Vending Ordinance has noted some improvements in the unincorporated areas of the north county.

Officials say they won’t be resting on their laurels though.

Representatives of Environmental Health Services (EHS) remarked that compliance from sidewalk food vendors has increased in north county areas since the effort began in April, but that enforcement is still necessary especially in the south county.

In 2018, California state law was changed, creating a permit process for sidewalk food vendors to conduct business.

Subsequent to the state law’s update, Santa Barbara County officials say they saw a sharp increase in unpermitted and unsafe operations.

Violations have included improper food storage and refrigeration, improper cooking temperatures, lack of hand-washing apparatus, cross-contamination, pest infestations, open flames in fire hazard areas, and illegal dumping of grease and waste.

In the last three years EHS has issued more than 200 Notices of Violation to unpermitted vendors.

Officials say since April, more than 14 Notices of Violation have resulted in the seizure of nearly ten unpermitted operations and the disposal of more than a thousand pounds of contaminated food product.

Additionally, pop-up operations along Highways 154 and 246 through the Santa Ynez Valley have been known to create traffic hazards.

Since the outreach team was established and began touring the county, they are observing either an increase in compliance or a decrease in appearance of many of those unpermitted operations.

Officials say safe operations are required to display their permits, and that tent canopies are generally associated with carnival operations.

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