Council votes to adopt anti-peddling ordinance
Measure approved 4-0 despite opposition from audience
By Kyle Jorrey kjorrey@theacorn.com

BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers STREET FLORIST- Left, Carlos Cervantes watches as Francisco Gomez of Simi Valley buys flowers for his girlfriend for Valentine's Day from Erik Venable, a licensed vendor in the city.

Just two days before scores of flower vendors poured onto public streets as part of the traditional Valentine's Day rush, the Simi Valley City Council voted unanimously to make such curbside consumerism illegal in the city, punishable by a fine of $100 for a first-time offense.

Making good on statements from its Feb. 5 meeting, the council voted 4-0 to approve a ban prohibiting peddlers from selling items- including flowers, food and other goods- while standing or walking on city streets, medians or sidewalks. The law also requires those selling goods from motor vehicles on public property to move their vehicle at least 500 feet every 10 minutes.

Council members, minus Councilmember Barbra Williamson, who was absent, made their decision in the face of outspoken opposition from audience members. Seven speakers in all voiced their displeasure with the new ordinance, some calling it an attack on the poor, others, on free enterprise.

"This is ludicrous," said resident Gertrude Cole. "You're driving them out and not giving them a chance. That's the basis of this country- freedom- and you've been taking it away."

Steven Lane, the hot dog vendor who was an outspoken critic of the ordinance at the council's Feb. 5 meeting, returned with more harsh words for the new law.

"If council members are truly interested in regulating street vendors, they simply need to enforce the existing statutes, not pass new laws that attack legally licensed vendors," said Lane, who like a few others in the audience said he was prepared to follow through with a lawsuit against the city if it passed the ordinance.

Andrew Bulles, who said he is new to the Simi area, called the ordinance "an affront on the American way of life."

"This is the most unfair of ordinances you could come up with," Bulles said. "It really is a NIMBY ordinance."

Bulles even hastened back to the Old West, and the salesmen traveling from town to town on horsedrawn carriages.

"Personally I find it to be an affront to the founding of the West," said Bulles, who also gave mention of wanting to participate in a lawsuit against the city. "In a way, you're voting against your own heritage."

The statements of resident Don Rubenstein led to applause from the audience.

"I think permits and licenses are in order, but to break the spirit of those who scrape up the money they have to buy a bucket of flowers they can stand and sell on the street all day long and maybe make 50 or 60 dollars- that's being a bully," Rubenstein said.

After listening to more than 20 minutes of public comment, council members tried to once again convince the audience that the new ordinance was meant for the betterment of the city.

"It's a safety issue. We don't design city streets to be able to have vendors on them," said Councilmember Steve Sojka. "It has nothing to do with oppressing the poor and everything to do with proper planning and proper zoning."

Council members said they weren't going to allow the threat of a lawsuit to deter them from passing a law that they felt would improve the quality of life for their constituents.

"I very much support this law," Councilmember Glen Becerra said. "I just want to make sure we can defend it as well as possible."

Answering the council's concerns, City attorney David Hirsch made it clear the city would be ready if legal action was taken against the anti-peddling ordinance.

"If that's the case, we're prepared," Hirsch said.