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Strict guidelines coming for Kent street vendors

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Matthew Fredmonsky
September 3, 2010

By Matt Fredmonsky | staff writer

Street vendors in Kent may soon go the way of taxi cab companies.

Strict regulations are on the way for people who sell food out of trailers downtown during the weekends. Kent City Council members discussed the issue this week and concluded the city's health, safety and law departments should draft a comprehensive policy regulating such operations.

The discussion came less than a month after council adopted regulations for taxi cabs operating within city limits. However, it will likely be several months before an actual regulatory policy for vendors appears before council for a vote.

Currently, the city does not regulate larger trailer food vending operations, but Kent does have regulations for push cart vendors.

"What if we did permit this," Councilwoman Heidi Shaffer asked. "Would we end up with a carnival atmosphere downtown?"

Kent Law Director Jim Silver said part of the regulations would be limiting the spaces available for such street-food vending.

"We don't want them everywhere," he said. "We would limit it. It's not 'everybody come on in.'"

Part of council's discussion Wednesday included the idea of auctioning off prime spaces for a minimum fee. The regulations could include requirements for an operating license and fees related to particular vending spaces.

The regulations would only address public right of way areas and not vendors operating on private property.

Businesses selling in front of their own store or restaurant would likely be permitted.

Shaffer and Councilman Wayne Wilson said allowing such vendors is unfair to "brick and mortar" businesses that are investing in the downtown and have to rent or buy conventional space and pay the associated overhead costs.

The issue of regulating sidewalk food vendors arose because the city has seen an increase in the number of vendors looking to operate in Kent.

Kent Mayor Jerry Fiala also has been informally mediating an on-going competition between Gyro Bob's and the Dogfather, two vendors who have been operating near the corner of Franklin Avenue and West Main Street on weekends.

"Part of what's happening is our downtown seems to be increasing in popularity for businesses, and one of those businesses is street vendors," Kent City Manager Dave Ruller said.




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    Posted by streakinduck September 3, 2010
I am speechless. Once again, council is actively trying to push away business. "Unfair?" No Wayne, it's because they're better businessmen. No "brick and mortar" = higher profit margins with less dedicate costs. It's economics Wayne, something you and your council have no idea in God's green Earth about.

What will they try to regulate next?

BTW Council, how those raises coming?

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