By El Latino Newsroom
redaccion@latinocc.com
The City of Santa Barbara has launched a new round of inspections this week aimed at ensuring sidewalk food vendors comply with fire code and public safety regulations, officials announced.
Led by the Santa Barbara Fire Department and supported by bilingual City staff and law enforcement for safety, the Vendor Enforcement Team will focus on vendors operating in public rights-of-way, where open flames, propane tanks and cooking grease have created hazardous conditions.
“These materials pose a significant fire risk, and our top priority is public safety,” city officials said in a statement.
The Fire Department, in coordination with the City Attorney’s Office, is also conducting criminal investigations into serious fire code violations by unpermitted vendors.
Officials are particularly concerned about the potential for fires to spread quickly in areas with high pedestrian traffic.
To legally operate a sidewalk vending business in Santa Barbara, vendors must meet several requirements, including a City-issued Business Tax Certificate and a County Health Permit from Environmental Health Services.
Vending carts must be self-contained and fall within strict size limits: no more than 74 inches long, 34 inches wide, or 80 inches high. Gas-powered generators are not allowed.
Vendors are also prohibited from setting up within five feet of crosswalks or fire hydrants, or within 10 feet of driveways, bus benches or transit shelters.
To help vendors comply, the City has made multilingual resources available online, by phone, and in person.
City officials are encouraging residents and visitors to support licensed vendors, who they say help fuel Santa Barbara’s local economy and support working families.
Sidewalk vending was largely prohibited in Santa Barbara until the passage of Senate Bill 946, the Safe Sidewalk Vending Act, which took effect in 2019 and required cities to adopt new regulations that support microenterprise while maintaining public safety.
A vendor guide is available at SantaBarbaraCA.gov/SidewalkVending, where vendors can also get direct assistance from city staff.
FAKE DOCTOR ARRESTED
A Valencia man accused of illegally practicing medicine and stealing from an elderly victim pleaded not guilty Thursday to multiple felony charges, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office said.
Nitun “Nate” Dayalghai Ahir, 43, was arraigned March 28 on charges that include the unlicensed practice of medicine, fraudulent use of the titles “doctor” and “physician,” elder theft by a caretaker and identity theft.
Prosecutors also filed aggravating factors, alleging the victim was vulnerable and that Ahir exploited a position of trust.
Ahir is accused of falsely claiming to be a licensed medical professional at Regen Spine and Nerve, a clinic in Ventura, where he allegedly presented himself as a graduate of the Avalon University School of Medicine with expertise in neurology, chiropractic medicine, neuropathy and gut health.
Prosecutors say he is not licensed to practice any form of medicine in California.
The criminal complaint also alleges Ahir used the personal information of an elder or dependent adult to open a line of credit without the victim’s knowledge or consent.
The case was investigated by the California Department of Consumer Affairs’ Health Quality Investigations Unit.
Authorities are encouraging potential victims to contact District Attorney Investigator Eric Jensen at Eric.Jensen@ventura.org or (805) 662-1739.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Andrew Reid, part of the Special Prosecutions Consumer Protection Unit, is leading the prosecution.
Ahir is free on $10,000 bail and is scheduled to return to court for an early disposition conference on May 1 at 1:30 p.m. in courtroom 12 of the Ventura County Superior Court.
SB TO HOST IMMIGRATION FORUM
Santa Barbara County will host a public forum next month, to review and discuss its cooperation with federal immigration authorities, as required under the Transparent Review of Unjust Transfers and Holds (TRUTH) Act.
The forum will take place on May 6th during the regular meeting of the County Board of Supervisors, beginning at 9 a.m. in the Board Hearing Room on the fourth floor of the County Administration Building, located at 105 East Anapamu Street in downtown Santa Barbara.
Members of the public may attend in person or participate virtually. Additional information is available at the County’s official website.
The TRUTH Act, signed into law by former Governor Jerry Brown in 2016 as Assembly Bill 2792, mandates that local governments hold annual forums if local law enforcement has provided Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with access to individuals in custody.
The law aims to ensure transparency and community oversight in such interactions.
During the forum, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is expected to present data from 2024 regarding ICE access to individuals held in county custody.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, ICE made 229 inquiries or requests for access to inmates last year. Of those, 190 did not meet the criteria for exceptions under California’s TRUST Act, meaning no information was shared with ICE.
However, 39 cases qualified under SB 54 — California’s sanctuary state law — as exceptions to the TRUST Act.
In those cases, the Sheriff’s Office notified ICE, resulting in 13 individuals being re-arrested by ICE following their release from county custody.
The Sheriff’s Office will disclose the number and demographic details of individuals involved, the dates ICE access was granted, and the method used—whether through a transfer, hold, notification request, or other means.
Data will be presented as anonymized statistics or redacted records to protect personal privacy.
Under California law, notice of the forum must be publicly posted at least 30 days in advance, and it has been announced in newspapers of general circulation as approved by the Board of Supervisors.
Community members are encouraged to speak during the forum or submit written comments.
Letters may be mailed to: Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, c/o Clerk of the Board, 105 East Anapamu Street, 4th Floor, SB, 93101.
Email submissions can be sent to sbcob@countyofsb.org. For more information, residents may also call the Clerk of the Board at (805) 568-2240.
