HomeMy WebLinkAboutEva Magana_09_16_2020 - Open Session - Agenda Item No. 6_RedactedFrom:eva magana
To:Public Comments
Cc:
Subject:09/16/2020 - Open Session - Agenda Item No. 6
Date:Wednesday, September 16, 2020 11:20:50 AM
Dear San Bernardino Council Members,
This is to express my support of our street vendor community, and ask that you
work to invest in education and outreach before you adopt the Code Amendment to
Section 5.30.120 and various Sections of Chapter 8.01 that criminalize Street
Vendors.
Leading a program with enforcement is asking for it to fail. Vendors don’t have
access to compliant carts. They need INVESTMENT NOT TICKETS! Invest in the
infrastructure needed for them to be successful so they, too, can continue to
contribute to our economy.
San Bernardino City must invest in street vendors, they need comprehensive
education and carts NOT criminalization. For the past couple of months city staff
and police officers are going out to cite vendors. The city staff and proper outreach
team should be working with vendors and community organizations. Street vendors
are an important part of our history. For the last 35 years they have fed our
communities, including folks living or working in food deserts throughout the city.
It is time they receive investment like other small businesses.
The policy changes you are proposing only further criminalize and scale up
enforcement, but fail to properly address the real problem, which is that the proper
cart required to be in compliance DOES NOT EXIST, and therefore makes it nearly
impossible to receive permits. By enforcing these discriminatory policies, the city
is choosing to enact racist and classist policies that target and criminalize
valued immigrant entrepreneurs.
Economic mobility for all residents is important and I urge you to expand
educational resources for vendors who are working to contribute to our economy.
Please VOTE NO on Agenda Item No. 6.
Thanks for reading
- Eva Magaña