By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Staff Writer

Q. What's the policy on lunchwagons in residential neighborhoods? I live in Ewa by Gentry, where a lunchwagon blocks the intersection and a wheelchair ramp near my house and is a total eyesore. What can the neighborhood do to protect its rights and property values?

A. The city's Department of Customer Services has asked police to determine whether the lunchwagon is complying with all laws. City ordinance 15-13.6 states that a lunchwagon operator or any other "itinerant merchant" cannot vend on a public street or highway for more than 15 minutes at a time. When vendors leave, they cannot set up at another site within 300 feet of the previous location for at least three hours.

A peddler's license is required if a vendor sells packaged items. Vendors selling their own plate lunches would not need the license, but someone selling packaged chips or canned soda would.

Applications for peddler's permits can be found at satellite city halls. For more information, call the Department of Customer Services' special services section, says Dennis Kamimura, the city's licensing administrator. Failure to have the permit could result in a fine of up to $1,000. The fee for the permit is $27.50.

A vendor who sells prepared food does need a license as a mobile food establishment. That license is issued by the state Department of Health, which requires such vendors to do their cooking in a kitchen approved by inspectors, said Sanitation Branch chief Brian Choy. They should also have a general excise tax license.

Lunchwagons should follow traffic and parking regulations, such as staying clear of intersections, driveways and wheelchair ramps, as well as feeding parking meters.

Q. Whom do I call to have the road in front of my house restriped? I live in Mililani Pines at the eastern end of Maka'unulau Street. It's so faded, no one can even see it in daylight, and I've seen head-on accidents there. The situation has worsened since the city built a hockey rink along the street, and it gets especially crowded on weekends.

A. Call the Information and Complaint Office of the Department of Customer Services at 523-4381 and it will relay your concerns about road restriping to the Department of Facility Maintenance. In the particular case you mentioned, Facility Maintenance Director Larry Leopardi said the city's Wahiawa yard crew investigated it and determined that the street did need to be restriped. The crew was scheduled to complete the work by the end of the month.

Do you ever get frustrated or confused trying to navigate the various layers of government? Are you looking for an answer to a simple question but can't figure out where to start? If you have a question or a problem and need help getting to the right person, you can reach The Bureaucracy Buster one of three ways:

• e-mail: buster@honoluluadvertiser.com

• Phone: 535-2454 and leave a message.

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