Available in Several Months

Long Beach to give away free vending carts – NBC Los Angeles

nbclosangeles.com/news/local/city-of-long-beach-to-give-away-free-vending-carts/3383772

By Karma Dickerson

NBC Universal, Inc.

The city of Long Beach is preparing a free, up-to-standard cart giveaway to street vendors who operate legally, but there is a catch. Karma Dickerson reports for NBC Los Angeles on April 9, 2024. 

The city of Long Beach is developing the second phase of the “Sidewalk to Success” program, looking to incentivize street vendors to comply with regulations.

The second phase will allow 40 businesses complying with regulations to obtain a free vending cart from the city. The cart will be designed to meet city requirements.

Cameron Kudie, who launched his business, Cafablanca Coffee Cart, during the pandemic, said he thinks the program is a step in the right direction.

“We've gone from prohibition of street vending to regulation of street vending, which is hugely important,” Kudie said.

Under phase one, the program covered business license and health permit fees within the first year of street vending operations. Insurance costs not exceeding $450 were also reimbursed.

Business Liaison Julio Miranda said Long Beach is continually helping to waive association tied to obtaining required licenses.

“The city is requiring businesses to get insurance, and for the first year, will reimburse the insurance," he said.

However, Kudie said the city's standards do not account for his unique operation.

“Street vendors who have unique set-ups like us still have no pathway to permitting,” he explained. “We can't get a permit unless we purchase pre-approved NSF certified equipment that is on the city’s list.”

Kudie said he would jump at the opportunity to be a permitted vendor, but did not want to jeopardize the popularity generated by his coffee cart, which operates on a donation basis.

“We might as well be a Starbucks,” he said. “The uniqueness and the specialness is what makes it such a big draw.”

Long Beach officials were working out the details of how the cart giveaway will work. The city does not expect the cart to be available for several months.

Once the program is launched, applications for the program can be found here. 

$105 Fine

Long Beach to start enforcing Styrofoam ban — 6 years after passing the law

lbpost.com/news/city-to-start-enforcing-styrofoam-ban-6-years-after-passing-the-law

April 10, 2024

By Melissa Evans

The City Council banned Styrofoam containers in 2018, but only now will start cracking down on businesses that are violating the law.

City officials said they have focused efforts over the past six years on educating businesses, but come this June will begin investigating complaints and issuing fines.

Some residents are perplexed as to why it’s taken so long.

“It’s great to pat yourself on the back for a great law, but with zero enforcement, why would anybody care?” Paul Buchanan, the owner of a local catering business, told a committee of the City Council Tuesday.

Joshua Hickman, deputy director of the Department of Public Works, told the Climate, Environment and Coastal Protection Committee that the lack of enforcement is due to a combination of factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the current struggle the city is having with hiring staff.

“We were in a different world in 2018,” he said, adding that, “We will do our best to follow this process — it will be a new process — to do enforcement.”

Officials said that since 2020, they have received 68 complaints about businesses not adhering to the ban on Styrofoam take-out containers, plastic cups, foam ice chests and bean bags or craft items made with polystyrene beads. The ordinance also prohibited giving out straws and plastic utensils unless requested.

The city at the time adopted a phased approach, with city facilities expected to comply first, followed by large restaurants and then smaller restaurants within 18 months of the law’s passage.

The city expanded the ban to retail stores and plastic straws in 2020.

But Buchanan and others said big-box stores and businesses including fine dining establishments are still flouting city law, while others in the food industry are bearing the expense of making the shift to protect the environment.

“You’ve given plenty of concessions to businesses,” he said, “now you need to enforce it.”

Beginning this June, if a violation is confirmed, the Public Works Department will issue a 30-day correction notification to the business.

After that period, officials will visit the site, and if the business is still in violation, an administrative citation will be issued for $105 on the first violation, $210 on the second violation and $525 for subsequent violations — which can be assessed daily at that point.

Councilmember Kristina Duggan, who is chair of the committee, said that “should provide some incentive” for businesses to abide by the law.

Public Works staff said they will also continue to send educational materials to all businesses that are affected by the law.

“I would say we really want folks to be in compliance,” Hickman said. “That is our goal.”

The council committee asked for a report back on enforcement progress in six months.