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Council Member Julie Menin questions Department of Sanitation on street vending confiscations and property retrieval
1:28:04
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4 min
Council Member Julie Menin inquires about the confiscation processes related to street vending enforcement since the Office of Street Vending Enforcement moved to the Department of Sanitation. Joshua Goodman from the Department of Sanitation provides data on inspections, confiscations, and the process for property retrieval.
- 8,390 inspections and 3,374 confiscations were conducted from July to April 30
- The property retrieval process includes a two-day grace period, after which storage fees of $16 per day are charged
- Only 16% of confiscated goods have been retrieved, with 46% being composted, donated, or discarded as appropriate
Julie Menin
1:28:04
Great.
1:28:05
Thank you.
1:28:08
Okay.
1:28:09
Great.
1:28:10
So I just want to switch gears and talk about confiscations because we haven't really spoken that much about that.
1:28:17
So when the Office of Street Vending Enforcement was situated at DCWP, the agency authorized just 37 confiscations out of over 25,000 inspections conducted between June 2021 and March 2023.
1:28:36
How many inspections has OSVE conducted since moving to the Department of Sanitation April twenty twenty three, and how many confiscations have been authorized?
1:29:42
Confiscation?
1:29:50
What's the percentage of confiscations that are conducted on mobile food vendors versus general merchandise vendors?
1:30:13
Okay.
1:30:13
If you can get that over to the Thank And can you just
1:30:30
I apologize.
1:30:31
Yeah, you can get that to committee.
1:30:32
And can you describe the process for property retrieval?
1:31:33
And what percentage of goods have been retrieved?
1:31:58
And where is the agency donating to?
1:32:11
Okay.
1:32:13
That concludes my questioning.
1:32:14
Does any other colleague have any other questions?
1:32:16
Councilmember Sanchez.
Joshua Goodman
1:28:46
I apologize, madam chair.
1:28:48
I have very good data on that question for fiscal year twenty five to date.
1:28:52
So I can do just off the top of my head, can do July to April 30.
1:28:56
So in that time, there were 8,390 inspections and 3,374 confiscations.
1:29:06
And confiscations happen in a few situations.
1:29:09
They occur when DSNY issues a summons for operating a mobile food vehicle with no permit, operating a mobile food vehicle with no license, unlicensed general vending, or abandoned property.
1:29:21
And that abandoned property one is one where the issue of unlicensed vending becomes significant because many of those situations are when a vendor sees sanitation police and leaves without packing up, the summons is issued after the vendor claims the abandoned property as part of the retrieval process.
1:29:43
If there is no one present and no one will identify themselves and say yes, that is mine, it is abandoned property.
1:29:58
Want to say that I have that.
1:30:01
Give me one minute.
1:30:01
I apologize.
1:30:02
If not, we'll have to get it to you.
1:30:08
You know, I think I just have information on total confiscations.
1:30:12
I apologize.
1:30:18
nope.
1:30:18
I'm sorry.
1:30:19
Do have it here.
1:30:26
Confiscation Oh no, this is breakdown on how much of it was picked up.
1:30:29
I'm sorry, which is not your question.
1:30:36
Yes.
1:30:37
I actually have right here in front of me the information that is given to vendors in those situations, so I can tell you exactly what they are told.
1:30:51
Vendors are given a property redemption notice that explains how they can retrieve their property.
1:30:56
When abandoned items are confiscated and they are then given a notice that says if you are redeeming your property within two business days of the date of the summons, please contact and then there's contact information.
1:31:07
Experienced staff will guide you through the redemption process, answer your questions, and tell you what documents are required to redeem your property.
1:31:13
The business hours.
1:31:15
Please be advised that after the first two days of storage, storage fees are charged at a rate of $16 per day.
1:31:19
Upon payment of storage fees, will be issued a redemption order to retrieve your property, and then there's the address of our storage facility.
1:31:26
Property that is not claimed and redeemed after ninety days after it was taken, even if storage fees have been paid, will be donated to a five zero one c three organization.
1:31:36
Okay.
1:31:36
That was that number that I have here.
1:31:42
CY 2025 through April 30, about 16% have been picked up.
1:31:48
Thirty eight percent are still in the storage, meaning it hasn't been the ninety days we have it and they can come back and get it.
1:31:54
And 46% were composted, donated, or discarded as appropriate.
1:32:01
If it's non perishable food, it's food pantries.
1:32:06
Other items are donated to C3s that we identify in coordination with other agencies.