Home › News › Local News
Simi Valley to review law on street vendors
Strawberry sellers have been hit hard
Download this story as a podcast!
Silvia Lazo was ticketed twice in one day for doing business from her pickup truck under the new street vendors law.
STORY TOOLS 
More from Local NewsSilvia Lazo has been selling strawberries on the same corner in Simi Valley for 14 years.
She has loyal customers and, up until a recent city action, the proper permits. But last week, Lazo was ticketed twice in one day for "illegal solicitation in the public right of way." She'll have to go to court.
But Lazo, 41, is now part of a group of vendors and residents that is working to change the minds of City Council members, who enacted a law March 15 forcing vendors to move at least 500 feet every 10 minutes. More than 500 residents have signed a petition to keep the strawberry vendors, who are legal, licensed and insured, in town.
And they may be successful.
One month after it went into effect, the peddling law is not being enforced for those strawberry vendors who have gone before the council, Mayor Paul Miller said.
The issue will go back to the City Council for a reconsideration in the next few weeks. "At this point, we are going to review all the options," Miller said.
The law made it impossible for longtime vendors like Lazo to sell their fruit. She closed shop temporarily, but because it is her only way to make money, she came back. That's when she was ticketed.
"I was upset," said Kathie Duncan, a 14-year customer of Lazo's. "I've been buying from her as long as I can remember. They are the best and sweetest strawberries."
The idea for the new law started when the City Council decided it wasn't fair to undercut storefront businesses with vendors who come and go, Miller said. The business owners have to pay rent, taxes and salaries for employees. "One of the original intents was to make it a level playing field for all business people," Miller said.
While the ordinance won't be rescinded, Miller said, he wants to accommodate residents and strawberry vendors. Some of the 17 vendors have told their stories in all five neighborhood councils and met with every City Council member. Some of the vendors have been selling strawberries in Simi Valley for more than 20 years.
Lazo has two children who attend Simi Valley schools and recently bought a home with her husband, Javier Martinez. She sells her flawless red strawberries, picked daily from Oxnard, near Sinaloa Road and Royal Avenue.
Rita Henry attended a March meeting where the council discussed, but then postponed action, on prohibiting panhandling in the public right of way. More than 15 people came out in opposition to the panhandling ordinance, which was being considered just after the peddling one approved. There, she met some of the vendors who were trying to explain why they opposed the recent vendor ban. But their English was not strong enough, and Henry decided to help out. She started organizing meetings.
"If we can help the working class, we should lend a hand," said Henry, a Simi Valley resident.
Henry said she is happy the ordinance is going back to the council for a review. She said most of the council members have been sympathetic to their plight.
"The council says it supports business, but you can't just support the big businesses," Henry said. "If that's the case, we'd only have Wal-Mart and Costco."
The city's decision last month prohibited vendors who sell food, flowers or other goods on street corners and medians. This review is looking at only the vendors who sell from vehicles. Those who sell goods on foot are not up for a reconsideration and are still considered illegal, Miller said.
Duncan said she usually buys three baskets at a time from Lazo, who also helps her to pick out the best ones to take home, just a few blocks away. Her family grew up on the fruit.
"I'm glad she's back," Duncan said.
Miller suggested the council review the ordinance in the next few weeks to accommodate the strawberry vendors. Consideration might also be given to others, like hot dog vendors, who also sell food from a vehicle.
"I think anytime we do anything, it's always worth reviewing," Miller said. "A lot of these people have been selling strawberries for 10 or 15 years."
The vendors and their supporters will attend the City Council meeting May 7 and are encouraging those who support them to attend. Miller said he hopes the issue will be put on the agenda.
The City Council meets at 6:30 p.m., 2929 Tapo Canyon Road.
Posted by another1bitesthedust on April 20, 2007 at 10:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
These people are working to make a living, and you dont see them begging for money on your shopping street corners.
Posted by moondoggie on April 20, 2007 at 3:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
These street vendors are part of the community and should be permitted and then left alone. If residents don't want them, they will not purchase their product. Keep them out of causing a traffic problem, like anyone else, and then get back to business. If the guy selling a hot dog from his restaurant can't compete, then perhaps he should lower his price or sell something else.
Posted by ke6fsv on April 21, 2007 at 8:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If they are breaking the law they shouldn't be allowed to sell. I have to have a business license, pay taxes so should they. They should also have a food handlers license.
Posted by imfastrthenur on April 21, 2007 at 8:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is not Mexico!! If it was ok then everyone would be out there doing it and it would be just like Mexico. Think about it. Plenty of Mexicans pay rent and do it the correct way.
Posted by ash.rogers on April 22, 2007 at 6:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Simi Valley should develop a program for "open-air permits". This would make the outside vendors get a business license to sale items on the street corner. I am not against fruit and veggies being sold on the corner as long as it is done in a proper way and it doesn't junk up the neighborhoods. The citizens should support the local farmers as much as possible.
Posted by shaver_one on April 24, 2007 at 3:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Just make sure they're selling what they say they are. In the past, street vendors have been caught selling fireworks, drugs, and guns. License them (business and health/safety), inspect them on a regular (random) basis, and let them be. One solution for the high-priced hot dog store would be to restrict them from selling their streetwares within a retail business district.
Posted by onevoice on April 24, 2007 at 4:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Can someone simply clarify why a flower vendor, strawberry vendor, or (you fill in the blank) vendor, who is conducting business on a corner or from a vehicle, should not have to abide by the same rules as any other business owner. It appears people are taking pity on the folks who are conducting these businesses because they are non-English speaking and poor. Where do you think the small business owners will be if Simi Council sets a precedent allowing illegitimate businesses to make a tax free profit from its citizens, then send the money back to their country (out of the city). I thought the new slogan was "Shop Simi First". This sounds more like "Set up shop in Simi and Ship money out." If these vendors are aloud to continue to conduct business, it will undermine local economy and force the small business's (That are supposed to be so important to the City) out of business. On a side note allowing these undocumented sales to continue allow people the ability to earn an income and then show no income when they apply for HUD or any other kind of state assistance that the real working class pays for. In other words it promotes fraud!
Posted by timtom27 on May 3, 2007 at 11:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
A lot of comments here make large assumptions. Are all the street vendors really sending their money back to TJ? Doubt it, but don't know anything for sure. Might be something good for the paper to do. A study to see how true this is, or not. This stuff has been going on here in Simi for a lot of years, and we're still not like Mexico. Arguments like that are extreme and alarmist. There needs to be a balance here where store owners, who aren't all Wal-Mart and Costco, and some of these vendors can co-exist and not be seen as so disparate. No you can't have a street vendor set up on the sidewalk with their flowers in front of Michaels. Not right or fair. But, I've never seen that happen either. I appreciate people who at least try and work to make a living given what's available to them.
(Requires free registration.)
Article discussions on this site are to support community debates of issues related to our stories and editorials.
Discussions should not stray from the subject of the story or editorial.
We do not allow the following:
We reserve the right to delete threads and/or ban users for these or other reasons we deem necessary.
Opinions are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.