Saying yard sales have become an “everyday occurrence” that resemble “outdoor flea markets” in some communities, County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas is calling for a crackdown.

Specifically, Ridley-Thomas is proposing to get all of the relevant county department heads together and “determine what changes, if any, can be made to strengthen county ordinances” and write new laws, if necessary, to combat illegal vending and extended yard sales.

The full text of his motion, which the supervisors will consider Tuesday, follows:

MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MARK RIDLEY-THOMAS

APRIL 9, 2013

Abating Illegal Vending and Extended Yard Sales

Illegal vending and extended yard sales are long-standing problems that negatively impact local businesses and drive down taxable revenues. Community complaints about illegal vending and extended yard sales throughout Los Angeles County (County) have been on the rise and the County’s ability to completely abate this nuisance under its current ordinances has proven difficult. Illegal vending activity is a problem both in the public right-of-way, as well as on private property. In some communities, yard sales are often an everyday occurrence and have been described as outdoor flea markets. Both activities are a blight on communities.

The County should do more to determine what changes, if any, can be made to strengthen County ordinances to effectively combat these activities and to mitigate the problems they create. As such, the Departments of Sheriff, Regional Planning, Treasurer and Tax Collector and Public Health, and the Offices of the District Attorney and County Counsel, should meet to review existing County ordinances and any other applicable statutory law, as well as current enforcement practices and procedures, and if possible, to propose changes to the County Code in order to better enable enforcement to abate these problem activities.

I THEREFORE MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:

1) Direct the Departments of Sheriff, Regional Planning, Treasurer and Tax Collector and Public Health, and the Offices of the District Attorney and County Counsel to meet and review existing Los Angeles County ordinances and any other applicable statutory law, as well as current enforcement practices and procedures;

2) Draft ordinances, or amend existing ordinances, to allow for effective enforcement against illegal vending and extended yard sales;

3) Direct the Regional Planning Commission to conduct a public hearing and forward its recommendation on any proposed ordinance revisions to the Board of Supervisors for its consideration; and

4) Place the draft ordinance on the Board of Supervisors’ agenda for consideration as soon as possible, taking into consideration all hearing posting requirements, or otherwise report back as to why this may not be possible or practical.