Those conducting food prep are required to apply for a food permit and have their mobile food set-up inspected. Designed by Freepik

 

MARYSVILLE, CA (MPG) - The Yuba County Board of Supervisors signaled its intent to crack down on unpermitted food vending after a March 14 discussion outlining public health risks, unfair competition for local businesses, and concerns about organized criminal networks operating mobile food setups across the region.

Environmental Health Director Clark Paquel briefed the board on how recent changes in state law have limited local enforcement. Senate Bill 972, adopted in 2023, created a new category called “compact mobile food operations” and removed criminal penalties for operating without a permit, Pasquel said. The law restricts enforcement to administrative fines that begin with a warning and can reach a maximum of $1,000 per year, which does little to deter unpermitted vending and does not allow the county to remove vendors from a site once they have been noticed.

Paquel explained that many operators are working outside a legal framework.

“Those conducting food prep are required to apply for a food permit and have their mobile food set-up inspected by us,” he said, adding that inspections focus on sanitation, hot and cold food holding, hand washing, and verifying that food is prepped and stored at a permitted commissary rather than at home.

Paquel also described the intent behind SB 972, which the Legislature framed as an economic development opportunity for low income and immigrant communities. Paquel said that while the state views the activity as a pathway for economic inclusion, the law has left counties with limited tools to address illegal operations that raise safety concerns or compete with permitted food vendors. 

Supervisor Renick House, who requested the county address the crisis, said the issue extends far beyond casual street vending and is tied to organized criminal activity. 

“These folks are labor trafficked,” House said. “A lot of it is organized crime. It is organized traffickers. The person at the till is not the one getting the money. They just think they have a job.”

House said unpermitted vendors not only avoid paying taxes and operate without meeting basic health and safety standards, but they also undercut brick and mortar restaurants and legally permitted food trucks.

“They cannot compete with almost free labor and no infrastructure costs,” House said.

Supervisors also raised concerns about vendors blocking sidewalks, operating in county rights of way, and drawing crowds into unsafe traffic conditions, particularly near Simpson Lane and other high-volume corridors.

Deputy Community Development Director Jeremy Strang told the board that Yuba City is preparing a city ordinance regulating both sidewalk vending and food vending, and that Yuba County could consider a similar approach. He said state law also allows local jurisdictions to establish no vending zones around flea markets, swap meets, and special events.

Board members emphasized they do not want enforcement efforts to target youth entrepreneurial efforts or small-scale local sellers. 

Strang cautioned that distinguishing between local operators and trafficked workers can be difficult but said they would work to balance public safety with fairness.

The board directed staff to bring back a full ordinance for consideration and asked for immediate options to address unsafe roadside setups while a broader regulatory framework is developed.