Madison’s Vending Oversight Committee (VOC) motioned to suspend the food cart Jin’s Chicken and Fish’s license to sell its goods downtown for six months at their Thursday night meeting.
One of the cart’s operators, Jeffrey Okafo, was found to be in violation of his current license. Okafo had been cited for several parking violations, including illegally parking in front of a fire hydrant, as well as late-night noise disturbances. Since the three violations occurred within 12 months of each other, the VOC required a mandatory hearing to determine a proper course of action for Okafo’s business.
Over five hours of the meeting, the committee ruled a six-month suspension of Okafo’s operating license, as well as conditions to be placed on the license when reinstated after the suspension. The further restraints state Jin’s Chicken and Fish cannot use any audible equipment such as radio or speakers during operation.
The committee voted unanimously in favor of the six-month suspension and audible conditions. The vote is a recommendation to the City Council and it will be discussed at the Oct. 5 meeting.
Okafo was cited for violation of a noise ordinance on May 30, 2003 because his radio was too loud. Police received anonymous complaints from local fraternities and residents, according to Officer Kenneth Estling.
Estling said Okafo was aggressive when he was asked to turn down the music and then refused to show proper identification. Two backup officers were called in and Okafo was arrested for resisting or obstructing a police officer.
Okafo was cited twice on Sept. 18, 2003 for noise complaints coming from his Jin’s Chicken and Fish cart. This incident led to a physical arrest when he was unable to comply with police requests.
Following this arrest, Okafo was arrested again on Feb. 26, 2004 on an outstanding warrant for a noise disturbance.
Okafo told the committee he never refused arrest and on the nights the citations occurred there were many customers awaiting service.
“I was never refusing arrest,” Okafo said during the meeting. “I paid the first three tickets.”
Okafo and his mother, Maxine, have been operating the Jin’s Chicken and Fish cart on the 200 block of Langdon Street since the mid-’90s. Their cart is generally located outside of the Acacia and Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternities. Maxine Okafo also possesses a license that could be used for cart operation.
TKE President Craig Chester and Acacia President Michael McLean spoke during the meeting. Both were pleased with Okafo’s efforts to help keep the area around his cart relatively free of garbage, but both were still upset with the amount of noise and drunken crowding during the early hours of Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
