Recommendation to request City Manager, or designee, to work with all appropriate departments to report back to the City Council in 60 days on a security and safety program that can be implemented to improve safety conditions for street vendors operating in our city.
District one, District two, high district three. I. District four. District five. Yes. District six. District seven. District eight. District nine. All right, Ocean Cares. Thank you. 24, please. Communication from Councilwoman Sara, Councilwoman Zendejas, Councilwoman and Vice Mayor Richardson. Recommendation to request city manager to report back in 60 days on a security and safety program that can be implemented to improve safety conditions for street vendors. Thank you. Can I get a motion, please? Can I get a second? Councilman Ciro. Thank you, Mayor. So I want to thank Vice Mayor Richardson and council members in Dallas and Councilmember Allen for their support on this item. The street vendors represent some of the community's smallest local business owners and make up some of the most vulnerable members of our community. Vendors are typically low income, elderly and undocumented migrant workers. These are people who have been particularly economically vulnerable in the pandemic, often operating on slim margins. But they are also a vital and integral part of this community. The violence street vendor have experience recently is the result of a system that has not invested in them, their business and their families. Their vital role in our community and economy provides many of our low income residents with quick and easy food access. These entrepreneurs are not only supporting themselves, but their families with their daily earnings from their pushcarts and mobile stalls. Vendors are put at greater risk due to the fact that they are often alone and may be handling a large amount of cash. So we must protect these members of our community from robbery and physical attacks that have risen against them in recent years and the past year. We should support these vulnerable workers who are trying to make an honest living and support their families. So Security and Safety program is requested to provide protect these street vendors through crime prevention and economic development strategies that include but not limited to some of the following. And have an overview of street vending laws in California and Long Beach strategies to decrease robbery by eliminating cash exchange through assistance and support to use online and alternative non-cash transaction signage program that indicate the vendor does not possess cash and support for vendors from the Long Beach Recovery Act, protect their business with their security cameras and other potential tools they can use. Information on how they can report crime safely. As always, information on the Long Beach value acts and the protection in place for undocumented residents when they're interacting with the Long Beach Police Department. And so that that concludes my comment on this item. Thank you very much. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilwoman Allen. Thank you, Mayor. I want to start by recognizing Councilwoman Sara for bringing this item in, Councilwoman. I think it's an important item, and it has the potential to impact so many vendors in our city. I personally just love the street vendors, especially all the fruit carts I see around town. They are just an important part of our community and unfortunately lately there has been a string of attacks and violence against our street vendors and we need to take all the steps necessary to protect them. The initial direction that Councilwoman Sara provided is excellent. And particularly with respect to exploring paperless transactions because they do carry so much cash and how they can safely report these incidents. I look forward to seeing the full report back in 60 days. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman's in Dallas. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much to Councilwoman Sara for this item. I'm very happy to see this item. Thank you, Councilwoman Allen and Vice Mayor Richardson for also supporting this item. Instances of robbery, assault and harassment towards our street vendors are not new. What has changed is, is more of these cases are being recorded and shared on social media. And and that, I speculate, has helped encourage more street vendors to make police reports when they are otherwise when otherwise they would not do so. And talking to our street vendors and listening to these stories of harassment and simply put disrespect hurts my heart because they are such hardworking individuals and have so much integrity and they're such a big part of our Long Beach community and they deserve respect. Two of my residents have been victims of of this, and that's Mr. Fernandez and most recently, Mr. Elliott. I'm hoping that this item will send a clear message to all of our street vendors that not only are they welcome in our own city and their own city, but they are valued by our own city as well. I also really love this item that it emphasizes on making information about Long Beach values more accessible so that people know. That they're there. That there are protections in place for undocumented residents when when interacting with our Long Beach Police Department. So that will hopefully also take away some of those fears that discourage people from reporting such cases to the police. Moving forward. I also wanted to share that our community based organization, Centro Cha, has responded to the assaults and robberies of these two Long Beach street vendors who had been assaulted in recent times with they've helped them with legal services, rapid recovery assistance. That includes the following assistance. Victim assist victims to obtain. I'll be the police reports. They assist vendors and their families to navigate and complete the victims of crime application for medical and trauma. On top of this central charm maintains their commitment to serve our undocumented community and street vendor community through the following resources of emergency rental assistance, brochure, gift cards, small Business Development Assistance, Free Immigration Legal Services, and ongoing case management services. I'm so, so very thankful again for this item. I think that we owe it to these these very vulnerable street vendors to let them know that they are protected. So, again, thank you, council woman. So for bringing this item forward. Thank you, Vice Mayor Richardson. Thank you. Thank you to my colleagues, Councilwoman Sorrell, for taking the lead on this. This item. I think what's most important about this item that acknowledges the humanity and dignity of all of these people who are valued members of our community. And the reality is, when violence happens and violence takes place against street vendors, it tears in tears at the very fabric of our communities. And it doesn't stop there. It plays on the social media. We hear about it at church. We hear it about it. We hear about it. Our neighborhood associations. It creates tension within our communities. And we need to acknowledge this at the highest levels of our city. And we need to deploy resources and strategies to make sure that that, number one, we value the members, every member of our community. And two, that we can't allow these things to just continue to happen without a response from our city. And so thank you so much for your leadership on this. And it's incredibly important that I'm proud to sign on. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman Sara. Yeah. I was just wondering where we can go to public comments and and I would like to provide a comment afterwards. Yes. Let's go to public comment. I'm quick. Thank you. Our first speaker is an Burdette. And Burdette. Hi, Mr. Mayor. And Councilmembers. This is an Burdette resident of District seven, also a member of Long Beach Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice. I want to thank the council members for excuse me who have co-sponsored item 24. Only a couple of you on this panel are from my generation, but when we were kids, we strained our ears listening for that ice cream man or Helms Bakery truck. And these were the street vendors of our day, and they sold their donuts and their cream circles directly to us. So they were such an important part of the life of the community. They made our lives better. They made them easier, often tastier. But now on my street, I look forward to the bell of the police, the man on his bicycle or the fruit vendor with his cart. They remind me that a community thrives with all kinds of economic activity, and we don't always have to get into a car and pollute the air and clog the streets to get quality produce or ice cream. So now we see our community members, local street vendors, under attack from racist hate crimes. Recently, two longtime residents were assaulted and received very little support from law enforcement. They are being attacked by people who are encouraged to fear and disrespect others. So as a city, we need to respond to these crimes with clear civic support. For these street vendors that make our city international. I'm a Long Beach native. I strongly support any protections that Item 24 can give our street vending entrepreneurs. Please vote yes on item 24 tonight and help Long Beach live up to the purpose of the California State Safe Sidewalk Vending Act and our own local statutes and really promote the health and safety of our community. I think we're only going to recover as a city economically and morally if we just protect each other. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Jessica Quintana. Good evening. Eric Garcia, members of the city council. I also want to thank council member Sally Sara and our vice mayor, Rick Richardson, Mary and their husband, Sandy Allen, for bringing this forward. This is definitely long overdue. Sensitized in full support of item 24, we have experienced firsthand hardship and the trauma of these benders in our community. It's just only recent that we've learned of the assault, but this has been ongoing for a very long time because vendors don't come forward. They fear. For their status. And their fear of police and the local government. They won't go through with testifying against perpetrators who have assaulted them. Unfortunately, these you know, these cowardly assaults and robberies on immigrant vendors have a long lasting trauma effects on them, their wives, their children and the neighborhood that they live in. Their well-being and healthy lives have been impacted for for a very long time. You know, they cringe when they hear loud noises at night. You know, the wife tells. Of how. Their their husbands are jumping in their sleep because their child, you know, because of our experience of working with immigrants, have a trusting relationship with their community and have the ability to be able to rapidly respond to the needs of these offenders. As you know, they are not eligible for a lot of government support and help. And through our donations and community foundations, we've been able to respond to these vendors who lost their earnings and pay for their rent and provide them with food security and get back on their feet and being able to help them navigate the system of victims of crime. If anybody has ever tried to navigate that, it is a hard, hard system to to apply for these services so vendors and their families can get counseling and get their medical needs and bills. Wait. It's a long process, and the process starts first with getting the police report. And so that sometimes is very hard for them to navigate as well, too. So, you know, it's important that as we look at this initiative and, you know, we started discussions that the vendors are included in the discussion. And when we're talking about their cards and. Cash and money. Making sure that, you know, we're listening to them is what's going to work for them. And then also that we're inviting immigrant service organizations to help with some of the solutions as well to, you know, it's important, just like the speaker said before, that. We continue to help. Thank you. Our next speaker is Robin Cortez. Good evening, Honorable Mayor and City Council. I'm Robin Cortez. I live with my husband and my two young boys over in the third district. And I'm here tonight to advocate for greater protection of our street vendors. And Councilman, woman follows agenda item number 24. And really just echo much of what's already been said this evening. I think that we would all agree that one of the best things about Long Beach is its people. The diverse, hardworking community of Long Beach essentially is human throughout all of its unique districts are part of what makes this incredible city stand apart from others. Our wonderful street vendors are such an important part of this beautiful community. The growing impact on our beloved street vendors has been alarming to me, to say the least. It is time, I believe, for us to really stand up for these valuable members of our community and ensure that they are protected and supported with dignity as they work to simply make a living. I would just simply ask the council this evening to support the security and safety program. I'd really like a clear message to be sent that we stand in solidarity with our street vendors and we don't condone any degree of violence toward them. And I'd really like to leave this evening knowing that our city's leaders are collectively committed to preventing crimes against these vulnerable people. I'm very grateful this evening for your vote in favor of this agenda item. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Tito Rodriguez. Good evening, guys. Mayor Council members. My name is Tito Rodriguez. I am the executive director of Local Heart Foundation. I'm born and raised in District six. So all my life I grew up with street vendors stopping in front of my house and giving us the goodies, you know, like we've all had. Right? So I've dealt with about 400 street vendors through our nonprofit where we've protected, we've helped, you know, get them legal assistance from some similar to central PA. But as we've seen in the city of Long Beach, you know, it's increasing, right? We've seen it on social media and we've seen it on every news network there is. Right. So I want to give a huge, huge thank you to so far over the agenda item 24 for stepping up and in saying enough's enough, we need to protect our vendors. So I'm asking you guys to please, please do something for our vendors. Out of all the vendors I've spoken to, they all want to pay their fair share in taxes. They all want to get committed. They've all they all want to get license. They just want to go out there and make an honest living. And with your guys with support and protection, you know, it would make things a lot easier for them. So I just want to give. You guys, you a, you know. A big hug, virtual hug for taking the time to hear us out. And hopefully, you know, this thing gets passed and you guys continue to do great things for for the people city of Long Beach. And, you know, I like to say the city of Palm Beach, if it takes us to say bus and you know what , that would be greater for us. You know, me being from Palm Beach in Long Beach, being one of the first cities to step up and say, hey, we're we're willing to protect our street vendors and hopefully other cities follow. Okay, guys, so God bless you guys. Keep up the great work and thank you. Thank you. That concludes public comment for this item. Thank you. Let me go back to Councilman Ciro. Thank you, Mayor. So I want to thank all of our committee members that made public comment and especially to Senator Char, as well as Local Hearts Foundation, who have done so much to support our street vendors prior to the pandemic and during the pandemic and the various philanthropic work and efforts to providing the services and support needed . And I hope to count on my colleagues on their support for this item. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Mongo. Thank you. I want to comment that I stand with our street vendors. I think they're an important part of our community, and I think it's critical that they have a security and safety program in place that could be supportive. I think it's also important to note that the police department has experienced a 10 to $14 million cut in the last year. That includes a reduction of 51 police positions. And I'm interested in knowing from the city manager what departments he feels are appropriate to include in this. And if there would be funding to support it, I would be very supportive of funding to support this specifically if there was a way to link it into violence prevention and our our federal funding that just came in. But I think that to really be effective, we need to put our money where our mouth is. Is is there is that a question to the city? It was Mr. City Manager. What departments do you feel would be a part of this? She said appropriate departments. I think that usually comes upon you to determine what those are. Yes. So we think economic development is going to have a role in this. A number of these vendors can kind of qualify under some of our recovery programs. So we are looking for a funding source that could help police, not as much. They really don't get involved in street vendors. We went back and checked. They aren't, you know, out there issuing tickets or anything like that. But they will have a role in kind of explaining the Values Act. We also have business licensing and health because some of these do need a health permit, but they don't need a business license. We do need to be updating our ordinance at some point. It's a pretty big undertaking to do that. So our audience is a little bit inconsistent with state law and therefore there's parts of our ordinances that we are not enforcing because they're in conflict with state law. But that is also what the city attorney's office, something that's going to have to be done. Thank you. I would just like to, again, give a little bit of additional praise to Councilman Zendejas for the program that she has implemented in partnership with the police department. That I feel has been completely effective. I've seen some statistics. I've heard from the community that it's been effective. And I don't know if expanding a component of that which which does include really a partnership with police in helping our community understand the resources available to them, the situational awareness, the design for safety and control that our police department has effectively utilized for our standing brick and mortar facilities, such as our liquor stores that have now had significant reductions in victimization. I think some of those things that have been proven to work should also be considered. So that would be my $0.02. Let's also use things that have worked. Thank you. Councilman, congratulations to both Councilman Zero and Councilman Zendejas and Allen. Not to mention De has. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor. Yes. One of the things that I was hoping that this would also fall under our Latino initiative and the recovery plan that we have and our anti-violence aspect of those two. I also wanted to give a big shout out to Tito Rodriguez, who is from the Hope Foundation, who has been just great and in supporting our street vendors. When one of my residents was assaulted, the most recent assault that happened, he sprung into action with with his organization and created an event where the whole community came out and supported the vendors that were assaulted and they had like a button buy them out kind of event and everybody was there and supporting this vendor. And it just was such a great energy to be there with the community. And I just want to thank them for the work that they do. And I really look forward to seeing this report come back and and working together with staff to make sure that we protect our street vendors. Thank you. I think it's been very clear tonight that Long Beach support for street vendors. I certainly do. And I've also been concerned with some of the reports and some of what I have also been been reading and seeing as relates to their safety and to ensuring that they feel welcome in this community. I've shared my my concerns and my hopes for for them feeling welcome and supported to our city leadership team over the last few weeks. But I'm really thankful that Councilman Sauro has brought this forward and really brought in the conversation around safety and support, particularly around. I love what you said, Councilman, about access to technology and to the, you know, the types of services and needs that would help them not just in their business, but also for their safety. So I really appreciate how thoughtful your legislation is that we have in front of us. So I just want to thank you for that. And of course, and a huge thank you to the community that has rallied around our our street vendors, particularly Centra Cha and so many others. That was also really, really great to see. So just a really excellent conversation and an excellent item to bring forward. So thank you. Roll call vote, please. District one i. District two, i. District three. I District four. All right. District five? Yes, District six. I. District seven. I. District eight. District nine. I. Ocean carries.