LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Street vendors, customers and their advocates are mounting a fierce opposition to proposed limits to operating hours and locations as a final decision from Clark County could come early next week.
FOX5 first told you about the proposed ordinance, which outlines throughout unincorporated Clark County a “no vending zone” within 500 feet from parks and schools, prime areas where families gather and walk. Operating hours would end at 9 p.m.
Numerous people sent their opposition letters to Clark County officials ahead of a April 16 vote.
“Let us sell near the schools and parks, and the truth is, I get my rent from here…what is left over is to feed my family,” one street vendor wrote to County officials.
One resident voiced opposition to restrictions: “Las Vegas is a 24-7 city. Sidewalk vendors should be able to set their own hours…why would you ban them where families can eat cheaply together in parks?”
Make the Road Nevada has been advocating for a legal path for street vendors to operate, and calls for parts of the proposal to be rescinded or modified.
“Vendors do well in parks. They don’t do well in other areas. That is an area that we want to ensure that we’re protecting for them and 500 feet distance requirements would be catastrophic,” said Tony Ramirez with Make the Road Nevada.
TikTok influencer Jose The Taco Guy is joining the cause. He gained followers posting videos of street vendors, and after meeting a popular street vendor in the Las Vegas Valley, partnered with them to eventually open Tacos El Guero on Washington Avenue.
They’re out there trying to survive. A lot of them do it as a full time job to feed their families and pay their bills,” Jose said.
“What I would propose is marrying similar business hours as as surrounding businesses. When they start to put these like arbitrary time limits and a blanket for the entire area, I just don’t think that that works,” Ramirez said.
Numerous organizations and residents also gathered letters of support for stringent regulations.
The Nevada Resort Association, Vegas Chamber and Henderson Chamber of Commerce voiced public safety concerns with carts blocking sidewalks and crowds forming on street corners, also calling for street vendors to operate by the same code and health guidelines as brick-and-mortar establishments.
Though late-night crowds are a draw, some residents voiced concerns. “Until 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. all i could hear is ‘chop chop chop.’ I couldn’t sleep until after they left,” one resident said.
Others complained about vendors “leaving behind debris” after departing from a location, and another called some of the makeshift setups “visual pollution.”
Chair Tick Segerblom indicated to FOX5 that it appears that the Commission will pass and approve the ordinance.
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