HERMISTON, Ore.-The Hermiston City Council approved an ordinance allowing code enforcement to take stronger action against unlicensed mobile vendors at its regular meeting on February 23.
Following a work session to review the draft ordinance and public testimony, City Council unanimously passed the ordinance defining unlicensed mobile vendors as a nuisance under Hermiston city code.
According to the City of Hermiston, the mobile food vendor ordinance is intended to provide clear and consistent standards for mobile vendors operating within city limits, including food trucks and other mobile businesses, and outlines requirements related to permitting, approved locations, hours of operation, and compliance with health and safety standards.
Unlicensed mobile vending is a concern around the region, and the local business community asked City Council for assistance in addressing the issue.
During the work session on the ordinance, Hermiston City Planner Clint Spencer provided an overview of steps the city has taken over the past year concerning unlicensed mobile vendors.
Efforts undertaken by the City include bilingual social media campaigns, making vendor guidelines and applications bilingual, producing a map of unlicensed vendors, and visiting all unlicensed vendors in the city with code enforcement, county health officials, and bilingual police staff to request compliance.
City staff created the ordinance after reviewing current regulations and evaluating how other communities manage mobile vending.
“The proposal outlines requirements related to permitting, approved locations, hours of operation, and compliance with health and safety standards,” the City of Hermiston said in a statement on the ordinance. “The goal is to create a balanced framework that allows entrepreneurs to operate successfully while maintaining safe streets, adequate parking, and fair competition among businesses.”
The draft ordinance presented during the work session makes no changes to licensed food truck regulations or permits, however, it does add unlicensed food vending to the city nuisance code and strengthens licensing requirements.
Under the ordinance, mobile food vendors must obtain a food handler’s certificate from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), a permit from the Umatilla County Health Department, a Hermiston Business License, as well as a mobile vending license.
According to the City of Hermiston, the approved ordinance clarifies expectations for vendors and streamlines enforcement, allowing more direct action by code enforcement officers to educate violators about existing rules and assess fines for repeat offenses.
Community members had the opportunity to speak during the ordinance work session. According to the City, residents spoke in support of keeping a fair process in place for licensed vendors and asked for more Type 2 mobile vendor licenses, which are needed to operate a business year-round at a single location, to be approved.
The mobile vendor ordinance and staff report from the February 23 Hermiston City Council meeting are available online.
Mobile food vendor information, including a map of licensed vendor locations and available license types can also be found online through the City of Hermiston.
