A court date for street vendors who are suing the city for allegedly violating their rights and subjecting them to punitive measures through its Sidewalk Vending Ordinance was postponed until May, lawyers representing the plaintiffs announced Thursday.
In December 2022, street vendors MerlÃn Alvarado and Ruth Monroy, along with three community organizations — Community Power Collective, East LA Community Corporation and Inclusive Action for the City — sued the city, challenging a number of regulations in the ordinance, which they claim violate SB 946, a 2018 state law that legalized sidewalk vending statewide.
Public Counsel, a nonprofit legal team representing the street vendors, said in a statement the case was set to be heard by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge Thursday, but parties agreed to postpone the hearing to May 16, as they continue to work on a potential settlement agreement.
The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Public Counsel announced in February that both parties would engage in a seven-week period to resolve issues, and the postponement is giving them more time to do so.
“We are committed to ensuring that vendors are not subjected to harmful and unlawful vending restrictions and penalties,” Public Counsel said in a statement.
“We hope to resolve the remaining critical issues that the city has failed to address, including hundreds of outstanding citations for operating in the now-repealed `no-vending’ zones, over-broad and unjustified distancing requirements from swap meets, farmers markets and schools, and a lack of assurances that future regulations will be lawful and inclusive,” the statement continued.
Street vendors are asking for all citations issued in the last five years for violating the city’s now-rescinded “no-vending” zones be forgiven, and that refunds be given to vendors who paid the fines, according to Public Counsel.
“If a satisfactory resolution between the parties cannot be reached, the sidewalk vendors, vendor advocates and their counsel will be returning to court on May 16 to ask a judge to order the city to fully comply with state law and to make vendors whole,” Public Counsel said in a statement.
While the nonprofit said it could not disclose additional details of settlement discussions, the legal team was “confident that this lawsuit will result in the restoration of vendor rights” in the city.
In February, the city of L.A. changed its street vending laws to eliminate the enforcement of so-called “no street vending zones,” which prohibited street vendors from selling goods at popular tourist sites. Zones at 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 were eliminated.
Earlier this year, the city also approved new street vending permit fees, lowering the cost from what would have been an annual fee of $541 to $27.51. Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez introduced a new street vending program that would support operations along Hollywood Boulevard and at the Hollywood Bowl.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recently approved a similar pair of ordinances regulating sidewalk food vendors, and adopting a subsidy program to offset some costs related to its permitting process.