Unlicensed vendors around Seattle selling everything from hot dogs to fruit have been a big problem in the last few years.
This summer along the pedestrian- and bike-clogged Alki Trail, a dozen or so illegal sellers camped on Seattle Department of Transportation property flouting safety, wage and tax rules all the while making actual transportation through the area difficult.
To its credit, SDOT concedes unpermitted vending enforcement is an ongoing challenge and says it is taking steps to remedy the situation.
Perhaps Seattle ought to look to its neighbor to the north for a simpler solution.
SDOT says it starts with education and warnings before escalating to citations and potentially seizing equipment. This summer, the department joined Seattle Parks and Recreation staff for enforcement patrols at Alki, giving warnings to 14 unpermitted vendors and confiscating equipment from four.
It also has a proposed draft Director’s Rule update that will make several changes to speed up enforcement. These include allowing SDOT to remove equipment in posted no-vending areas after outreach and escalating enforcement after one warning attempt.
“We want to work toward collaborative solutions to the unpermitted vending in Alki and around the city. In the meantime, we will continue to do what we can with our current tools and resources,” said an SDOT spokesperson.
Meanwhile, in Everett: Problem solved.
Last year, Mayor Cassie Franklin’s office started to receive complaints about illegal vendors. Most focused on public health concerns, business fairness and blocked sidewalks.
After reaching out to local health authorities, other jurisdictions and the state for help, Franklin’s office drafted an ordinance that would be effective without devoting a lot of scarce enforcement resources.
It required mobile food vendors to have a City of Everett business license and Health Department permit. The ordinance makes it a misdemeanor for an operator to be in violation of the ordinance, and a gross misdemeanor for the employer. It’s enforced by police. Impounding equipment is a last resort.
The Everett City Council passed the measure on Feb. 11 and police conducted outreach and created flyers in multiple languages to explain the new law. At the time, there were seven mobile food vendors within the city. As of June, there were none.
Everett’s experience shows that when municipal government faces a problem, the simplest solutions are usually the most effective. Food for thought as Seattleites continue to dodge the consequence of out-of-control illegal vending on public streets and paths.
