Council passes mobile food vendor ordinance

—  Teresa Yragui-Zeman, Bread and Blessings

Bread and Blessings seeks new home

By Sean Avery

Columbia Gorge News

THE DALLES — Local charitable food and resource distributor Bread and Blessings will have to find a new home.

After another discussion concerning transient food merchants and public right of way, The Dalles City Council took action on Sept. 22, passing an updated ordinance to repeal municipal code and broaden the definition of mobile vending.

The ordinance, which was deliberated at length by members of the public at the Sept. 8 meeting, will require charitable food services and other mobile distributors to purchase and continuously renew an authorized license to maintain their operations. Organizations must ensure that individuals utilizing their services do not infringe upon the public right-of-way. Councilors referenced camping on sidewalks, littering, substance abuse and violence as present disruptions occurring downtown.

“Mobile food vending has always been prohibited in the public right of way,” clarified City Attorney Jonathan Kara. “This ordinance broadens who is considered a vendor to encompass services that don’t involve money.”

Bread and Blessings impacted

A pillar of The Dalles community for 33 years, Teresa Yragui-Zeman is committed to feeding and warming unhoused individuals, she said. Formerly operating within the St. Vincent de Paul dining room, her nonprofit organization, Bread and Blessings, has since evolved into a transient entity.

As such, Bread and Blessings can no longer operate under its current form, which has spawned complaints from property owners and businesses downtown, where the majority of unhoused individuals reside.

Yragui-Zeman was present at city hall for the public comment period again this week, urging councilors to avoid creating additional hardship for disadvantaged people. “We don’t want to work against the poor; they are citizens of The Dalles,” Yragui-Zeman said. “Many of these people grew up here, and we all have an obligation to help each other.”

Councilor Dan Richardson commended Bread and Blessings, highlighting the cost and effort it takes to give back to underserved members of the community. “But there’s another cost: the fraction of clients who congregate and camp,” Richardson said. “The city needs to wrestle with those.”

Richardson also expressed concerns for small businesses downtown — many of whom are already struggling — fearing a loss of the cruise ship companies that welcome tourists into The Dalles. “We need to move the location,” Richardson said. “Somewhere that’s not in a neighborhood or downtown.”

Yragui-Zeman expressed concern that many of her clients are not able to relocate or travel for service. The city’s mobile food vending hot spot, 6th Street Station, is a burdensome destination for houseless people, especially those who are disabled and live downtown.

She questioned why the city can’t find solutions to provide for all of its citizens, or at least attempt to forge friendly relationships with them. “Ask them what they are in need of, and they will start working with you,” Yragui-Zeman said. “When they feel that there is animosity towards them, they’re going to do things that aren’t appropriate.”

She invited councilor members to come to Bread and Blessing and see what they do. “If I can do this, surely you, who have a lot of power, can help them,” Yragui-Zeman said.

After the ordinance was officially passed, in appreciation of the good work Bread and Blessings has accomplished over the years, the council made clear that it will do everything possible to find an appropriate location. “This is a conversation we need to have with a number of people at the table,” Richardson said. “It’s not our job as a city, that’s technically true, but it behooves us to make sure whoever is appropriate is involved so you can find a spot.”

The ordinance will go into effect on Oct. 21. In the meantime, Yragui-Zeman will continue her work. “I’m not a person who goes against the law, but people have to eat. If we don’t feed them, you’re going to have pilfering,” Yragui-Zeman said. “I will have to [feed them].”