Photo: Aleksandr_Vorobev / iStock / Getty Images
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - L.A. City Council members Friday approved $20,000 for an education and outreach program aimed at supporting street vendors in the 1st District.
Council members voted 11-0 to support a motion introduced by Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez, who represents the 1st District, covering swaths of downtown and northeast L.A. neighborhoods. She previously said the motion is intended to address longstanding gaps in the services available for these individuals.
Additionally, she said she aims to make it easier for street vendors to navigate what can be a "complex web" of city and county requirements. Council members instructed certain city departments to conduct listening and resource sessions for sidewalk vendors in the district, with the intent of providing information about local rules and regulations.
Street vendors will be able to provide feedback about their experiences and issues, which would then be used to improve the city's sidewalk vending policies.
About $20,000 will be allocated to a fund to help vendors with the cost of obtaining a city sidewalk vending permit. City staff will be required to refer a vendor before the vendor gets the financial assistance.
The Bureau of Street Services and Bureau of Engineers was tasked with building an interactive and accessible map to highlight clearly identified areas where sidewalk vending can occur along high-volume foot traffic and businesses.
"Sidewalk vendors are part of the fabric of Los Angeles and they play a critical role in our culture and local economy," Hernandez's motion reads. "There have been important wins in recent years that have de- criminalized sidewalk vending but the city needs to do more to open up pathways for these entrepreneurs to be able to thrive."
On Feb. 6, the City Council rescinded so-called "no street vending zones." The council voted unanimously to amend the city's street vending laws and eliminated seven zones where street vendors were prohibited from operating: 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.
Council members also lowered the annual fee for permits to conduct business -- from what would have been a cost of $541 to $27.51. The City Attorney is set to bring forward an amendment to the city's Sidewalk and Park Vending Program to officially make that change at a future date.
The same day, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors gave final approval to a pair of ordinances regulating sidewalk food vendors, and also adopted a subsidy program to offset some costs related to its permitting process.