Commissioners ban sidewalk vending near resort casinos

Sidewalk vendors are now banned from operating near resort hotels and facilities with high seating capacity after commissioners voted Tuesday to approve a related ordinance.

Clark County commissioners voted unanimously to approve the ordinance, which will bring the county in line with a state law passed during the legislative session banning street vendors from working within 1,500 feet of a resort hotel or near a facility that can seat at least 20,000 people, among other areas.

Senate Bill 92 established a framework for the legalization of street food vending, requiring counties to establish a licensing process.

But the bill has caused confusion since taking effect this summer, leading to calls to better inform the community. A video of a street food vendor being detained by Las Vegas police near the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign went viral in August, intensifying those calls.

Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick said she had been by the sign a few times over the last month and saw sidewalk vendors operating there.

“I can’t wait to start enforcement because unfortunately there’s more than 10 there any given night, and I don’t think that was the intent for the Las Vegas sign,” she said.

The law will become effective Oct. 17. A second ordinance, which will lay out requirements for licensing, fees and locations where street vending can occur, must be in place by July 1, 2024.

In a statement, Make the Road Nevada spokesperson Tony Ramirez said the progressive nonprofit appreciates the county’s effort to listen to the community but called for an easily accessible licensing process.

“Our top concern on this bill is restrictive parameters,” Ramirez said. “Sidewalk vendors are not going anywhere. We need a system that will allow them to quickly go through the permitting process through Clark County and Southern Nevada Health District, or we will have a design created for nobody to access.”

Commission Chair Jim Gibson said he expects the next ordinance to be introduced early next year.

Contact Taylor R. Avery at TAvery@reviewjournal.com. Follow @travery98 on X. Intern Jimmy Romo contributed to this report.