CM Wong on mobile food vending licenses and inspection capacity

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Dr.

Martin, for coming today.

I have three questions regarding supervisory licenses on street vendors.

Starting July 1st, DOHMH begins issuing 2,200 new supervisory licenses, the first wave of 11,000 new permits over five years.

My constituents, especially those in Elmhurst and Rico Park, already live with congested sidewalks, blocked storefronts, and sanitation problems from vendors.

I support legal pathways for vendors, but the number of new licenses is dramatically outpacing inspection capacity.

And this budget...

Funds 133.

New inspection positions by FY30.

My questions.

One, how many are coming online on FY27 specifically and how many will be assigned to Queens?

And second, before July 1st, what is the current number of DOHMH inspectors covering Queens community, boards four, five, and six?

Thank you very much, Council Member.

First of all, as a Queens kid and as a Regal Park resident, this is an issue that hits close to home.

We're trying to balance a lot of different priorities here.

I'm going to hand it to Deputy Commissioner Crenshaw to share more on this.

But the idea is we're trying to focus on food safety compliance, on vendor education, and also building the inspection enforcement capacity so we can do this right and really get this balance right.

So I'm going to hand it over to Deputy Commissioner.

Thank you.

Good morning.

Do you affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth before this committee and to respond honestly to council member questions?

Yes, thank you.

Good morning.

Corinne Schiff, I'm the Deputy Commissioner for Environmental Health, and our mobile food vending program is in my division.

So we are preparing to implement the council's significant, as you say, expansion of mobile food vending in the city.

We will be issuing, starting in July, starting each fiscal year beginning this July, 2,200 supervisory license applications.

Those applications would then be turned in, if they are turned into us, would be turned into licenses, supervisory licenses, and that gives the licensee the opportunity to apply for a supervisory license permit.

So just to let you know how this will roll out, they won't immediately become permits for vendors to be operating out on the street.

These are not designated for specific areas.

There is a permit available to work anywhere in the city, and there is a permit available to work in the boroughs outside of Manhattan.

We were very pleased, as the commissioner said in his testimony, to receive resources that we will need to be able to monitor the food safety aspects of these newly permitted units.

The issues that you have expressed concerns about and that you're

constituents are concerned about are handled not only by us when we really focus on the food safety aspect of mobile food vending

sanitation very much focuses on some of these other issues that you are describing okay thank you um thank you I'll have questions for round two thank you great okay council member Wilson followed by come on