The City of Reno is in the process of establishing ordinances outlining where street food vendors are allowed to operate.
To comply with the “Nevada street vendor law,” the City of Reno is considering a draft that proposes the decriminalization of street vendors in residential areas.
However, it prohibits vendors from operating within 1,500 feet of resort hotels and convention facilities.
This would essentially prohibit sidewalk vending in downtown Reno.
At the same time, the draft proposes the removal of some barriers, such as assigned locations, background checks and fingerprints.
Lance Ferrato, director of business licensing, said that will lower the application cost.
“Under current regulation, [a business license] it’s anywhere between $700 and $900. With all the background checks and everything, that’ll be down to anywhere between $250 and $400,” he said.
The city has struggled to get street vendors to apply for a license under the current regulation, Ferrato said.
“We’re hoping by easing these standards and lessening the barriers to entry that we will get more compliance. We’ve got this state law, and we have to adhere by it. And I know, the general intent of that bill was to lessen the barriers, and we’re trying to do that as best we can,” he said.
The Reno City Council was supposed to make a decision on Dec. 6, but due to a clerical error, the final reading has been set for Jan. 17.
In addition to obtaining a business permit, sidewalk vendors must also get approval from Northern Nevada Public Health.
To sell food, vendors are required to comply with certain regulations, such as operating a mobile cart with a sink for handwashing, and heating and refrigeration equipment.
Joelle Gutman Dodson, government affairs liaison for Northern Nevada Public Health and member of the Task Force for Safe Sidewalk Vending, said those regulations are not new and are already in place.
“We currently allow for street food vending under the category of mobile food unit or portable food unit. And we always have, so none of our street food, none of our regulations have changed or been updated as a result of SB 92,” Gutman Dodson said.
The district’s main goal is to help street vendors while preventing foodborne illness outbreaks, Gutman Dodson said.
“The focus for Northern Nevada Public Health is always going to be maintaining the health of our community. So that is with food vending. It’s through food safety standards,” she said.
Northern Nevada Public Health is also working on developing payment plans for sidewalk vendors. The current cost for an annual health permit ranges from $332-$539.
The City of Reno and Northern Nevada Public Health said they do not plan to increase inspections and are working on bilingual outreach in the community.
