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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Street vendors suing the city of Los Angeles for allegedly violating their rights and subjecting them to punitive damages will begin engaging in settlement discussions for a seven-week period, lawyers representing the plaintiffs announced Wednesday.
In December 2022, street vendors Merlín Alvarado and Ruth Monroy, along with three community organizations -- Community Power Collective, East LA Community Corporation & Inclusive Action for the City -- filed a lawsuit against the city, challenging a number of regulations in its Sidewalk Vending Ordinance.
The lawsuit alleges that these regulations violate SB 946, a 2018 state law that legalized sidewalk vending statewide, according to Public Counsel, a nonprofit law firm that is defending the street vendors.
According to Public Counsel, a trial date was set for Thursday, but as result of ongoing settlement discussions, it has been moved to April 4.
"We are committed to finding a fair and just resolution for sidewalk vendors in Los Angeles and ensuring that vendors are not subjected to harmful and unlawful vending restrictions and penalties," according to a joint statement from the legal team and plaintiffs.
The move comes after recent actions taken by the city that acknowledged the "unlawful" nature of its vending ordinance, in particular the enforcement of so-called "no street vending zones."
On Feb. 6, L.A. City Council members rescinded seven of the "no street vending zones" that were in place since 2018 and which prohibited street vendors from selling goods at popular tourist sites.
City leaders amended the street vending laws to eliminate the zones from the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hollywood Bowl, Dodger Stadium, LA Live/Crypto.com Arena, Universal Studios/City Walk, El Pueblo De Los Angeles Historical Monument and Exposition Park.
Councilwoman Nithya Raman had said the city was "giving street vendors the full protection of the law, preserving the livelihoods of the hardworking individuals and families that run these cherished businesses, and continuing to uplift their contributions to our shared experience of leaving a concert, Dodger game, or long day at work and finding a welcoming vendor."
The ordinance will take effect in approximately one month, according to city officials.
According to Valerie Flores, chief assistant city attorney, in the future the City Council could enact vending restrictions in certain areas, but it would require an ordinance. Additionally, there must be specific findings that justify why the restrictions are needed.
Council members Hugo Soto-Martinez, Curren Price, Raman, John Lee and Paul Krekorian introduced the motion that initiated the process to remove the "no street vending zones" in October 2023.
Street vendors and their legal team celebrated the win, but had expressed their commitment to their lawsuit.
In their joint statement, the plaintiffs said there remains "critical issues that the city has failed to address, including hundreds of outstanding citations for operating in the now-repealed `no-vending' zones, as well as over broad and unjustified distancing requirements from swap meets, farmers markets and schools."
"Vendors and vendor advocates were ready to appear in court this week to vindicate their rights and ensure the city is fully compliant with state law," the joint statement read. "Now, the parties to the lawsuit will spend the next seven weeks trying to reach a resolution that addresses the full scope of the issues raised in the lawsuit and sets the city on a better path to fully include the vending community in the local economy."
Due to the confidential nature of these settlement discussions, no further details will be released at this time, Public Counsel said.
"If a satisfactory resolution between the parties cannot be reached, the sidewalk vendors, vendor advocates, and their counsel will be returning to court on April 4th to ask a judge to order the city to fully comply with state law and to make vendors whole," the statement read.
The city recently approved new street vending permit fees, lowering the cost from what would have been an annual fee of $541 to $27.51. Soto- Martinez is also spearheading a new street vending program that would support operations along Hollywood Boulevard and at the Hollywood Bowl.
The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors recently also gave final approval to a pair of ordinances regulating sidewalk food vendors, and adopting a subsidy program to offset some costs related to its permitting process.