[StBernard] St. Bernard expels roadside vendors

[Westley Annis]

By Karen Turni Bazile
 
Saying that temporary operators hurt established businesses, the St. Bernard
Parish Council has given most roadside vendors until Wednesday to pick up
and leave. 
"We want to make a shift now because we feel like we have enough permanent
vendors who have invested in the parish," Councilman Craig Taffaro said. "We
want to make sure we are supporting their investment." 
 
As of Wednesday, only vendors forced to use temporary outside structures
because of repairs on their permanent buildings will be allowed, Taffaro
said.
 
The approved temporary structures, meanwhile, will be prohibited after March
31, said Parish Chief Administrative Officer Dave Peralta. 
 
Many out-of-town vendors offering food and small wares, such as tools,
popped up along the roadside in the immediate months after Hurricane
Katrina, when few prestorm businesses were able to operate. To be in
compliance with parish law, those businesses were required to obtain parish
permits and pay any applicable fees. 

But now many parish businesses are in various stages of repair and several
long-time local business owners have complained that roadside vendors, while
not making a long-term investment in the parish, cut into their sales. And
for now, the parish says it won't issue any new itinerant vendor permits. 
 
Clay Dillon, the parish's chief compliance officer, said his office served
11 vendors last week with notices that they must shut down operations by
Wednesday. 
 
It's hard to say how many roadside vendors are operating in front of
permanent buildings. Dillon said four businesses have current itinerant
market permits, and Peralta said some existing businesses operating under
normal licenses may not even have applied for such a permit. 
 
Taffaro said pre-Katrina businesses such as Olive Branch Emporium Cafe and
Gifts in Chalmette and a chicken retail outlet in Reggio would be allowed to
continue operating in roadside capacities because they are renovating their
flood-damaged buildings. 
Charlene Walsh, who owns Olive Branch with her husband Johnny, has been
cooking and selling breakfasts and lunches in a small trailer while
repairing her shop and cafe. 
Walsh said she is less than a week from moving into her shop on East Judge
Perez Drive. She has spent months waking at 3 a.m. to commute daily from
Slidell to her Chalmette business, but said her family is moving into
Federal Emergency Management Agency trailers at its Meraux home this week. 
 
"I do appreciate the council has been patient with us permanent businesses,"
Walsh said. "I think it's right that they are helping us come back." 
 
Peralta said he expects no problems with compliance, but he said the
Sheriff's Office is on notice to help with enforcement if necessary. 
 
Peralta said there may have been some permits given out in October that are
still good for 60 days and would expire Dec. 31. 
 
As of Wednesday, unpermitted vendors who refuse to move on will face
criminal charges, Dillon said. 
. . . . . . .