Street vending advocates left City Hall disappointed yesterday when it was announced that an ordinance to legalize vending that been lingering in the Economic Development Committee for two years will stay there after members asked for more information from the Chief Legislative Analyst and other city departments. 

“Nothing happened,” said Fernando Abarca, an organizer working on the Los Angeles Street Vendor Campaign. “It’s frustrating to be in the same spot after two years.”

L.A. has about 50,000 vendors selling food and merchandise on city streets. These businesses are illegal, and vendors can face fines worth hundreds of dollars if cited by the LAPD or Bureau of Street Services according to the Chief Legislative Analyst. 

Kenneth Simpson, 50, showed off a stack of tickets he’s gotten over his nine years of vending in neighborhoods like Venice and Crenshaw.

“That’s about 300 tickets there,” he said. “I’m still fighting in court on some of them, they give you tickets for no good reason.”

In 2013, Councilmen Jose Huizar and Curren Price Jr. submitted a motion calling for a permit system to legalize the city’s street vendors. But progress has been slow.

Before the committee meeting, pro-vending advocates staged a large press conference on the steps oF City Hall with live music and a crowd of enthusiastic supporters. Some had high hopes. 

“We’re expecting them to approve it so it can go to the [City] Council and get a full vote” said Gilbert Saucedo, an attorney with the National Lawyer’s Guild. “We’re hoping that the rest of the members of the council realize that it’s bad public policy to criminalize the vendors.”

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Instead, the Economic Development Committee decided to hold the ordinance and requested that the CLA return with more information about issues such as counterfeit goods sellers, enforcement and where possible vending could and should be allowed.

Those who showed up to speak out against legal vending argued for a an “opt-in” policy to be added to the ordinance. An “opt-in” policy would give neighborhoods the option to allow vending in their areas based on their own requirements.

Opponents say that this would effectively kill legal vending in the city.

“They’re trying to bring back that messed up MacArthur Park thing,” said Fernando Abarca.

In 1994, the Council tried to legalize street sellers by passing an ordinance that allowed for special vending districts, eight in total, around the city. Only one of these, MacArthur Park, was actually established. It folded soon after, because of high city fees and competition from unlicensed vendors operating outside the park. 

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Now the city must decide if it will stick with the district model, allow permitted street vending citywide or pursue a “hybrid” of the two. The three models were proposed in a CLA report issued earlier this week.

Anti-street vending groups were present at yesterday’s meeting were vocal in their support of retaining the special vending districts. 

“The citywide vending model does not allow for community input,” said John Howland, a spokesperson for the Central City Association, a Downtown based lobbying group representing retailers like Walmart. “An opt in system represents the communities will.”

During the meeting. Councilwoman Nury Martinez expressed frustration at two representatives from the CLA’s office about the report’s lack of specifics about how a legal street vending program would work. 

“When are we going to hear what this looks like,” said the councilwoman. “Where would the vending be allowed? Those details don’t come with the models you’ve outlined.”

Martinez wasn’t the only one at City Hall experiencing legislative anciness. Advocates had hoped that street vending would be legal in Los Angeles by early next year, something that now looks unlikely. Councilman Price, however, urged patience.

“This is a deliberative marathon,” he said. “This is not going to stop today, we’re going to continue this discussion till we arrive at a solution that works for everyone. 

Good luck with that. 

Contact Staff Reporter Kevin Walker here and follow him on Twitter here.