Santa Monica : Council OKs Street Vending
Pushcart vendors will soon be part of the Santa Monica street scene.
The City Council Tuesday night approved an experimental program to permit outdoor vending at six downtown locations and two in Palisades Park.
Vending would be limited to food only, and the program would have a one-year trial basis.
Councilman David Finkel proposed that the motion also include a recommendation to staff to consider giving preference to disabled people, since they may have a harder time finding jobs or may only be able to work part time.
Although all council members supported the plan, there was concern about whether it is legal to limit vendors to selling food. Other cities have faced legal problems when they tried to regulate the type or quality of merchandise sold by a vendor. But the city attorney’s office said the motion limiting vending to food is defensible in court, and the council passed the motion unanimously.
Some street vending is already permitted on the Santa Monica Pier and the outdoor mall at Third Street.
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