Anaheim : Council Schedules Night Hearing on Vendors

At the request of a neighborhood group, the City Council this week scheduled a public hearing on the issue of street vendors as a night meeting.

Although Anaheim public hearings are typically held in the afternoon, the council granted the request for a night meeting made by the Patrick Henry Neighborhood Council, representing a neighborhood once frequented by the truck vendors.

The vendors, who mostly sell fresh fruits and vegetables, have asked city officials to allow them back into apartment zones in the Patrick Henry and Chevy Chase neighborhoods, which provide the most lucrative sales. The council is expected to make a decision following the hearing, to be held at 7 p.m. May 13 in City Council chambers, 200 S. Anaheim Blvd.

Late last year, the city began a crackdown on street vendors in apartment areas, citing a 1926 ordinance that forbids such sales in business districts. According to the California Vehicle Code, apartment areas qualify as business districts.

The city began its crackdown after hearing from residents who complained of litter, congested streets, excessive noise and unsanitary conditions in many of the produce trucks.

The vendors, who cater mostly to the city’s Latino community, said the crackdown took them by surprise and forced them into other areas where sales are not as good. Saying they were willing to compromise and help pick up litter, the vendors asked the council to change the ordinance.