Mission Viejo continues to grapple with illegal food vendors posing a danger to City's physical and economic safety

Thank you for this enforcement. This is important to me.

Does it take an outbreak of salmonella poisoning or worse to enact the law? If they are breaking a law or city code then why are they not being shut down? It is time to enforce the law….no excuses!

Thank you for your efforts to combat illegal food vendors.
Safety is a priority in safe food handling.

Wow hoo!! Finally someone is doing something about this. It drove me crazy to see all these vendors all over the place, after legitimate business were shut down during covid-19 pendemic; supposedly for health reasons.!!
This is very good news.
I appreciate you doing something about it.

Appreciate the city regulating and ensuring the safety of our community. Thank you.

Mission Viejo is NOT Santa Ana. Our streets and sidewalks are maintained in a pristine condition. Street vendors attract people who do not mind littering on the street. Enforce the city codes and keep them off our sidewalks and streets.

I'm so happy to hear our beautiful city of Mission Viejo is taking the lead to deter these vendors around the sidewalks and streets. We thought it was very unhealthy and did not like to see the damages on our landscape due to these vendors.

Please continue to enforce these rules. I do not appreciate these vendors in our city.

Hi, at first, I kind of felt bad for them because I figure they’re just also trying to make a living. But I don’t agree with where they’re doing it at especially in front of the plazas that also have a taco business like where the Ralph’s plaza is and other areas that have food in the same plaza I do agree with you about that they have to have health permits. My husband used to do catering and he had to have a permit and a sink and proper set up to cater at events. So even though I felt bad that their equipment and everything was shut down that particular night , I thought that was very bold and brazen of them that the very next day they disregarded what happened and set up again. So I no longer feel like supporting them in anyway it also kind of makes me nervous that they didn’t care that that happened and concerns me regarding what other things can be pop up in our area and make it be unsafe and unsightly as well.

Years ago (before 2020?) when I first noticed sidewalk vendors, I wrote to the City Planning Dept. staff to inquire about zoning and code enforcement of street vendor operations on the sidewalks of Portola Plaza (adjacent to driveways). At the time, the staff emailed back to me and stated that such use was "allowed." ..... I hope City staff are diligently acting to regulate and address zoning, enforcement and health concerns.

Glad to be informed about the 4 foot rule on sidewalks. Can’t wait to start my candy apple business out at the local park!!

We need to do more to get these immoral, illegal vendors out of our neighborhoods for so many reasons. We also need to crack down on these panhandlers that are in our beautiful communities! There are many that are doing this in groups and definitely are scamming people. These “businesses” need to be shut down!!! This area is going to end up looking like another city someone in previous comment made. We can’t let that happen!

So glad to read this. I have wondered this past year about the fresh fruit peddlers on Puerta Real by Target and on Crown Valley by the Gas stations right off the freeway if they were operating legally I would never support them not knowing how sanitary their fruits are.

Thank you for asking them to leave & enforcing rules & standards that are in place for a reason! I didn’t know MV was working behind the scenes on this & really glad to hear! I hope neighboring cities can work together with MV to end this. I refuse to pay the prices I pay to live here & see this in our community. Hoping it can be completely resolved by the city!

Did you know that ‘Mission Viejo’ is actually Spanish for snobby boomer?

Looks like the Sacramento protects this lawlessness like they have other crimes throughout the state. It's like they're trying to terraform places like Orange County with state policy so that it becomes just as crime-ridden and filthy as San Francisco or Los Angeles. The OC Sheriff needs to intervene here and protect citizens from the legal corruption of Attorney Generals like Rob Bonta.

Thank you all for noticing that these ‘food stands’ are definitely downgrading our beautiful city of Mission Viejo. It angers
me that these people operate without permits, and they don’t understand and adhere to food safety regulations. I will do my part to notify officials when I see these food trucks. Let’s keep these illegal operators off of our fair city.

Thankful this issue is being addressed!

Thank you Mission Viejo for bring this story to light! These people have the nerve to continue to do this. This is not 6 street I n Los Angeles.
AMERICA WAKE UP!

Isn't there any way these personnel and their illegal activities can be arrested and their property confiscated? Are our SB's and non-possession of Health Permits that weak that all we can do is shut them down? Isn't there a stronger penalty for repeat offenders as well other than just shutting them down?
Shutting them down is the first step and I am glad something is being done. We need to do more!

I'm always happy to see the MV city leadership take steps to protect residents and business from these types of transgressions. It's much more common these days for city's to just let this stuff slide resulting in third world conditions that have become the reality in so many other areas.
Were grateful that we live here.

Who can enforce "4-foot pathway on the sidewalk for ADA"? Could the city use the Shirreff's volunteers? If vender moves to private property, cite property owner. We as a city must not support these venders. I understand that the workers are trying to earn a living but endangering the health of others cannot be allowed.

Thank you, thank you for working behind-the-scenes on this issue,,, We don’t want our street or city full of these pop up vendors,, They’re not playing by the rules that all others have to abide by.

We all need to be involved. Call when we see them set up and complain.,, also, we need to spread the word to not buy food from them.

I agree with so many of these comments. This is just no good for our citizens and legitimate businesses. I would like to ask the city to use some of the bus stop ad spaces to communicate…..“SIDEWALK FOOD VENDORS ARE UNSAFE AND ILLEGAL. DO NOT SUPPORT SIDEWALK FOOD VENDORS IN OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY”.

Thank goodness Mission Viejo is taking a stand against these illegal street vendors. Allowing them to operate is a slap in the face to retailers who follow the rules and who sell in lawful manner. Thank you for taking action against them and please keep trying. If we don't support them, they will go away!

We thank you, City of MV, for doing something about this. At the same time, if ANYONE working for the City of MV would take a drive on La Barca just off Marguerite, there are 2 blocks which have become trash dumps for people who buy take out food from In n Out, McD's, etc., etc., then they discard their trash on the street or in the bushes. It has also become a burial ground for old, beat up, non-operational vehicles to park forever and ever. Calls to the Sheriff's non-emergency line have met with some success about the illegally parked vehicles, but others have been left and no follow-up has ever been made. Clear the streets of illegal street vendors, but clear the streets of trash and vehicles left behind.

I see these vendors all over lake forest and I’ve never gotten sick nor seen anyone sick. They seem to be healthy. It sounds like a front to make sure oc health board gets paid its health inspection fee and local businesses don’t want competition. It’s a free market! They have better food at lower prices cause they have lower overhead. Let the free market go on people.

Wahoooo! About time! Big thumbs up to the city! Went on far too long, but at least it’s being mitigated. Just keep enforcing it!

I support these vendors unless they are operating in a Plaza that offer the same kind of food. For example, you can't start a taco stand in the corner of Trabuco and Los Alisos since there is a Taco Mesa there! Also, I rather seeing them creating a business like that instead of being homeless one day! when it comes to health issue, leave it up to the consumer to take the risk!

Fruit vendors are still selling fruit on the public curb outside of Target near the 5 fwy.

Are these vendors being financially cited for selling illegally?

There is still an illegal fruit vendors selling at the corner of Trabuco and Alicia where the BofA is. Also in front of Target near the 5 fwy off of Alicia. They are not worried about being fined or cited as the City doesn’t do that.

It is silly waste of city resources to shut down street vendors like this. The rising rents post pandemic have forced many local shops to shut their doors, leaving only corporate owned,sysco-supplied, soulless restaurants left. I appreciate having a diverse range of food options, run by locals, who keep their profit within the community.

The soul of our neighborhood is not big chain fast food that all close at 9. Good forbid we have a little bit of culture and diversity.

Most of these complaints have very Karen or 'BBQ Becky' vibe to them. They do not reflect well on our community or the people are a part of it.

Food vendors print in people, culture and money. Let's be more welcoming. Save your pearl clutching for the PTA

Let's not bring politics into this..There are NUMEROUS Mom and Pop cafes etc. In Mission Viejo still surviving after COVID. Is it fair and EQUITABLE that they are required by the City County and State to pay for business licenses..high rent and utilities to comply with health codes..AND THEN INCOME TAX on what is left? Why can the County Health Dept issue notices for compliance to brick and mortar..but cannot enforce street vendors? These people are breaking the laws and they don't care. NO THANK YOU. NOT IN OUR CITY. We pay high taxes to live in South County. We chose this City as a model of Safety and Community. We have every right to expect the laws will be upheld.
This is an amazing city..for conservatives and liberals. For people of all backgrounds and beliefs. And we will keep it that way.

And no..my name is not Karen. I don't BBQ EITHER.
I happen to be a liberal Democrat that believes in the SAME laws for EVERYBODY. You are not special. Either am I.

But I do wear PEARLS..Everyday.