San Bernardino County street vendor workshop aims to educate, offer support – San Bernardino Sun

A month after street vendors protested San Bernardino County’s approval of nearly $500,000 to crack down on illegal street vending, the county hosted two workshops this week to help vendors navigate the county’s regulations and permit process.

About 50 people joined the first workshop at Ayala Park’s community center building in Bloomington on Tuesday, July 23, with about 25 people joining virtually, according to county officials. A second workshop was held at Vermont Elementary School in San Bernardino on Wednesday.

The county has hosted a handful of workshops since 2019, when state Senate Bill 946 legalized street vending. In 2023, state Senate Bill 972 made it illegal for local governments to issue criminal citations to street vendors – though they are still allowed to fine vendors for health and safety violations.

The workshops are intended to clear up confusion for vendors surrounding those regulations, said county Environmental Health Specialist Leilah Kelsey, who hosted the workshop with county Code Enforcement Chief Ignacio Nunez.

“Street vendors’ success is our success,” Kelsey said. “We have seen vendors that have moved from being non-permitted street vendors to permitted street vendors. We have had two events that actually started off with a lot of non-permitted vendors and they moved into being approved (for) community events.”

Kelsey presented information about the two state Senate bills, information about the different types of permits required for different merchandise, as well as the areas where vendors are not allowed to sell, while Nunez spoke about the county’s enforcement process.

The county, Nunez said, doesn’t cite vendors for street vending – but does issue citations to those who violate other regulations, like obstructing sidewalks or setting up on private property.

Additionally, he said, the county enforcement’s jurisdiction covers unincorporated areas of San Bernardino County. Cities have their own rules and enforcement protocols for street vendors.

The county also offers vendors one-on-one consultations with county officials by appointment every Wednesday.

The workshop offered accommodations for Spanish-speaking attendees, handouts of the information provided during the workshop in both English and Spanish and refreshments for attendees.

Maria Ramirez, a former vendor looking to re-start her taco stand, said the workshop was informative but that she wished it was more specific about which areas are under county jurisdiction versus city jurisdiction.

“The workshop included more information on other things and not on what’s helpful,” Ramirez said.

The county’s workshop comes a month after vendors protested the county’s approval of its budget, which included $484,657 for the Illegal Street Vending Program to “add positions, vehicles, and (cover) ancillary costs necessary for the provision of Illegal Street Vending Enforcement.”

Bryan Sanchez, a lead organizer for the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, said street vendors have complained about “aggressive” enforcement tactics like the seizure of their equipment and food supplies, as well as heavy fines.

However, Nunez reiterated in the workshop Tuesday that the county does not have the authority to confiscate vendors’ equipment or food, and emphasized that different cities have different regulations and enforcement officials.

Of the workshop, Sanchez said there was room for improvement — the workshop began at 5 pm, he said, which starts peak hours for street vendors due to the heat lessening, and finding the location was confusing — but that it was a “step in the right direction.”

“But overall, we’re glad the county is doing something to help street vendors get the information they need,” Sanchez said.