Long Beach street vendors are speaking out against increased vending permit fees and new regulations

Street vendors in Long Beach are expressing discontent with the exorbitant fees required to maintain vending permits. According to them, these fees are prohibitive and unrealistic, especially for small business owners who are struggling to make ends meet. The vendors are calling for a more reasonable and fair pricing system that takes their financial situation into account.

A hearing and first reading for the sidewalk vending ordinance was initially put forth in November 2023. The new city law necessitates that vendors comply with several regulations dictating the places where they can sell. Additionally, vendors must have a city business license and liability insurance, and obtain a health permit if they sell food.

Long Beach City Council members reiterated that they planned on working with vendors to reduce barriers following implementation and that enforcement of such regulations would not occur during the initial six months. 

Community members and advocates, however, raised concerns at last week’s city council meeting stating that street vendors deserve a fair ordinance that allows them to thrive, not simply survive. Others stated that the city’s proposed sidewalk vending permit fees pose financial barriers to many Latino business owners, who are an essential part of the fabric of Long Beach’s economy.

New regulations would also limit where street vendors are permitted to operate. If passed, the new ordinance would restrict vendors from being in close proximity to light poles, intersections, driveways, schools, and businesses that have lease agreements with the city.

One man who identified himself as “Ivan” during public commentary argued that the presence of street vendors brings safety and community engagement to neighborhoods throughout Long Beach. 

“They are the eyes and ears of our communities,” he said, “therefore, we should allow these folks to have a more facilitated process, [a] more inexpensive process of making sure that they do actually participate in the Long Beach economy.”

According to numbers provided online in Los Angeles County, street vendors make about $32,250 on average per year, although advocates at Long Beach Forward cited a much lower number of $20,000 on average based on their organizational findings. Many are individually responsible for paying health permits, inspection fees, and business license fees among other incurred expenses. 

In addition to the barrage of fiscal obstacles being presented by the city, street vendors have faced a spike in increased violence in recent years. A popular Long Beach street taco vendor named 'Tacos La Juquilita' shared a video on their Instagram account last week. The video showed the owner of the La Taquería Brand chain assaulting one of the taqueros working at their stand in Long Beach. Following the incident, the owner issued an apology for his actions in a written statement to LA Taco.

City Council members opted to move forward without amending any of the bylaws that were suggested by the city vendors or advocacy organizations. This means that the ordinance will now go to a procedural vote next week, after which it goes to the mayor’s desk to be signed. According to members of the council, the city will give vendors about six months before they begin enforcing the changes.

After the hearing at City Hall, many of the street vendors gathered outside of City Hall to express their frustration. They spoke in Spanish to one another about how they felt unheard in regard to their concerns. A local Long Beach vendor named Claudia Vergara spoke to CALÓ News about her disappointment, stating that district representatives are “not supporting accessibility and affordability for the street vendors.” 

Vergara and her partner, Jeffrey Quintana, can be seen every week on the bustling corner of Ocean and Junipero selling brightly colored Mexican blankets. They are concerned about a new city council ordinance that requires vendors to have liability insurance policies that cover at least $1 million in damages. “The fact that they're petitioning the street vendors to have liability insurance of one million dollars shows me that the city council doesn't even realize how costly it is to be a street vendor.” 

Vergara is frustrated by this requirement and believes that it shows a lack of understanding on the part of the council regarding the challenges and costs of operating as a street vendor. She worries that this requirement will make it even more difficult for vendors like herself and Quintana to make a living.

She also criticized Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson for leaving the room during City Council meetings when the issue of street vendors is discussed. "This is the second time he has walked away from people speaking up," says Vergara. "It's very disappointing that he brushes us off as if we're not important, as if we don't give the Long Beach economy enough money. Even though we’re a business and we pay taxes.” 

CALÓ News reached out to the Mayor’s office for comment but did not receive a response before the time of publication.