Foster City plans to crack down on park reservation enforcement, as well as sidewalk vendors, particularly in light of the summer months ahead.
Reservation and park usage is expected to jump quite soon across the city’s 160 acres of parks. But conflicts have increasingly arisen throughout the city’s public spaces lately, with some groups refusing to leave the area at the end of their reservation time, even intimidating permit holders at various times, said Parks and Recreation Director Derek Schweigart.
A push to update city regulations addressing the issue would also work in tandem with a program for sidewalk vendors, as unlicensed operators have become increasingly prevalent, competing with approved vendors near parks and events. Violations already have codified consequences, but enforcement has been difficult.
“Currently the only way to enforce is for sworn officers to write criminal misdemeanor citations which can actually be more costly for the city,” Schweigart said. “The actual amount of the fee we collect is going to be a lot smaller than the actual cost of showing up to court and filing those.”
The update to the city’s ordinance will also include updates to its street vendor program, which will especially come in handy for the Fourth of July, when the city hosts a popular fireworks show at Leo Ryan Park. While Schweigart said managing the vendor situation at last year’s event was difficult, as some noncompliant vendors refused to leave the premises, he added that an update to their city’s program will provide more structure and ability for such business owners to continue operating.
But charging the right amount of permit fees, based on the type of goods they’re selling and that don’t dissuade operators, will need to be taken into careful consideration, Councilmember Sam Hindi added.
“There’s differentiation between different vendors,” Hindi said. “But somebody selling at an event like the Fourth of July, selling lights or glitter, if you’re going to be charging them $200, $300, that’s going to erode their profit. That’s basically telling them, ‘We don’t want you.’’
Under Senate Bill 946, cities must allow certain sidewalk vendors to sell food or merchandise in public parks.
The updated ordinance recommended to the council would also give the Parks and Recreation Department more latitude regarding reservation changes, as under the current system, certain groups and meetings, such as council meetings and youth organizations, can supersede other groups’ reservations, creating a monopolization effect over reservation access. The updated regulations were unanimously approved by the council.
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