Supporters Of Proposed Ordinance To Legalize Street Vending In LA Gather At City Hall
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Supporters of a proposed ordinance that would permit legal street vending in the city of Los Angeles gathered Tuesday to discuss the measure.
Street vendors placed their aprons on the lawn of City Hall at 12:45 p.m. before giving a testimony at the 1 p.m. City Council hearing, officials said.
Los Angeles Street Vendor Campaign, a coalition of street vending advocates, started an online campaign using #LAStreetVendors to rally supporters.
Councilmembers Jose Huizar and Curren Price submitted a proposal in November calling for the regulation of street vending operations.
Currently vendors operate in an unregulated environment, exposing consumers to potential health risks, officials said.
Sidewalk food vending is permitted in cities such as New York, San Fransisco and Chicago.
The city estimates there are at least 10,000 street vendors in Los Angeles every day.
In 2013, over 1,200 vendors were reportedly arrested by police.
Through a translator Tuesday, vendors told the council that the department should stop issuing tickets to vendors.
The majority of the council appeared in favor of following Chicago and New York's lead, and developing ordinances for vendors to legally follow.
A vote may be organized by the end of 2014.
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