THOUSAND OAKS : Council to Vote on Street Vendor Rents

Filling in a gap in an already-approved ordinance, the Thousand Oaks City Council will vote Tuesday on how much rent to charge vendors for their use of public streets.

City Atty. Mark Sellers has recommended that peddlers pay $250 a year for a package including a license, a vendor decal and the right to sell wares from city streets.

In calculating the fee, city staff considered how much the vendors would pay if they were to rent street space from a private real estate broker.

Undeveloped land generally rents for 12 to 15 cents per square foot in Thousand Oaks; city staff settled on a middle rate of 13 cents, Sellers said. They assumed that most vendors use at least 400 square feet of space, or roughly two parking spaces, when they hawk their goods.

That would amount to $52 per month. But since most vendors would use the space only a few hours a day, city staff cut the monthly rate to $21.

Other California cities charge widely varying rates, from $439 a year in Los Angeles to $74 in Pomona. Berkeley charges $240 a year.

Also on Tuesday, the council will consider requiring street vendors to carry substantial insurance. Peddlers will have to present proof of adequate insurance before receiving the decal signifying city approval.