LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Los Angeles City Council Wednesday approved initiating a study to determine if the cost of vending permits can be reduced, and the possibility of financial assistance to help street vendors obtain permits.
By a 12-0 vote, with Monica Rodriguez and Curren Price absent, the council instructed staff to conduct the fee study, and to take into account the average income of street vendors.
"We know, all of us, that these vendors are integral to our local economy," said Councilwoman Nithya Raman said, who introduced the motion.
"We need to make sure that vendors are not responsible for paying costs that they're simply unable to pay and that we're not pushing them into an informal market because we're simply not setting up a system that's possible for them to take on."
In addition, the Bureau of Street Services will report in 60 days on the feasibility of creating financial assistance programs to help street vendors obtain their vending permits and carts. City staff will also examine ways to possibly create a payment installment plan for sidewalk vending permits.
"The state government has done work on these issues through (Senate Bill) 972," Raman said. "But what we saw in the process that we put into place here in the city of Los Angeles is that the process was very cumbersome and way too expensive."
Councilman Kevin de León, who seconded the motion, said the "right hand doesn't know what the left foot or right is doing."
De León noted that the cities of Chicago and San Diego charge $58 and $38, respectively, for vendor permits. But in the city of L.A., the cost will return to $541 -- and on top of that, vendors pay additional fees with the County of Los Angeles and the county's Public Health Department.
"I'm hoping we get this report back with a sense of urgency," he added.
More than 30 street vendors attended Wednesday's meeting. While many supported Raman's motion, there were those among them who requested that the council get rid of the fee altogether.
In September 2020, the city implemented a reduced cost permit fee of $291 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The reduced cost fee is set to expire July 1 -- and the normal $541 fee will resume.
The motion further instructs the city attorney's office to prepare an ordinance to extend the reduced cost fee.
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