Summerside councillor wants crackdown on unlicensed truck vendors
'It's just not a fair, level playing field'
Too many people are selling fish and other goods out of trucks in Summerside without a city licence, says Coun. Gordie Whitlock.
To sell out of a truck, he said, vendors need permission from both the P.E.I. government and the City of Summerside.
"They may not even realize that they need a special permit from the city to operate but that's about to change," Whitlock said.
"We have businesses within the city that pay taxes and utility bills and hire local people and they're selling the same product in a lot of cases, and it's just not a fair, level playing field for them."
The city permit costs $500 — which is in lieu of property taxes, said Whitlock — and comes with stipulations regarding health certificates and permission of property owners.
Whitlock tabled a notice of motion regarding having police crackdown on unlicensed vendors at city council Tuesday night.
The motion itself will be presented, and further discussed, at the next council meeting Aug. 20.
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With files from Island Morning