ANAHEIM : Street Vendor Law to Go Before Council

Street vendors in Anaheim are likely to win substantial concessions in their struggle to sell their wares on city streets under a revised ordinance that goes before the City Council today.

Mayor Fred Hunter spearheaded changes in the ordinance after hearing from a task force that studied the issue of street vendors. The task force of city officials and street vendors did not come up with a single recommendation because there was disagreement among its members.

The review was prompted after a number of residents complained that the vendors should not operate in neighborhood areas because they created noise and traffic. The vendors, meanwhile, say the existing 3-year-old ordinance regulating them is outdated.

They called insurance requirements excessive and said a provision forcing them to relocate every 30 minutes is unreasonable.

The revised plan allows vendors one hour, rather than 30 minutes, to station their vehicles in one spot and changes operating hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., rather than 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The new ordinance would also lower the insurance requirement and maximum penalty for code violations.