Thread: Salt Lake's taco-cart rules unfair?

Salt Lake's taco-cart rules unfair?
Hispanic group sees signs of discrimination
By Jared Page and Deborah Bulkeley
Deseret Morning News
Published: November 28, 2007

Changes in the way sidewalk vendors are allowed to operate in Salt Lake City could be seen as discriminatory, according to a Utah Hispanic nonprofit organization.

Centro Civico Mexicano is taking issue with amendments to city code unanimously passed by the Salt Lake City Council on Sept. 4 that place additional requirements on sidewalk vendors — specifically as they pertain to taco carts.

The amendments stemmed from complaints about smells, messes and locations of food-vending carts that property owners said negatively affect their businesses.

Under the amended ordinance, sidewalk vendors now must submit to a criminal background check, secure signed bathroom agreements with a neighboring business and provide written notice of intent to surrounding businesses and property owners before being issued a business license.

Some of the amendments, such as cleaning up spills and picking up litter, went into effect when the ordinance was passed. Those that pertain to business licenses take effect Jan. 1. All operators of sidewalk vending carts are required to renew their permits for 2008.

In a press release issued by Centro Civico Mexicano, spokesman John Renteria says the amendments "unjustly target and harm (taco vendors') unique commerce type." The statement also questions whether sidewalk vendors were given proper notice of the amendments and the public hearing that preceded them.

Renteria said he recently met with about a dozen street vendors, and many of them were not aware of the new requirements. A public hearing was held during the City Council's Sept. 4 meeting, but no street vendors spoke.

"The hearing took place without notice to the vendors," Renteria said. "The only intended application is at the expense of a vibrant and thriving micro-business. ... We were left in the dark."

That concerns Josie Valdez, administrator of the Mayor's Office of Diversity.

"None of the vendors were there to give testimony, and they were not included in the formation of the ordinances," Valdez said. "It's always been my opinion that those people who are affected (by an ordinance) should have some input."

Nancy Saxton, who represents the downtown area on the City Council, said it's the city's policy to notify all licensed vending-cart operators about an ordinance change.

"Unless there's someone who wasn't licensed, they should have been notified," she said.

Saxton said she received several complaints from business owners about sidewalk food-vending operations, including garbage and food spills not being cleaned up, reports of property damage and public urination and defecation by vendors and their patrons.

"These places would be open in many cases 12 hours or more," she said. "You can imagine that with employees as well as patrons, (bathroom access) was an issue and a concern. For them to go in and use the local businesses' (bathrooms) became problematic."

Saxton said the amendments to the ordinance are not meant to target a specific group of vendors but rather to address complaints and bring city code in line with state law and Salt Lake Valley Heath Department regulations.

Renteria said he and vendors plan to meet soon with city officials in an effort to get the ordinance repealed, delayed or have existing businesses grandfathered in. The amended ordinance, he said, seems focused primarily on "making it prohibitive to do business in the city."

City officials conducted a training session about the new rules and regulations Tuesday and have another one planned for 6 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Pete Suazo Business Center, 960 W. 1700 South. The training is conducted in both English and Spanish.

"I happen to think some of the requirements are onerous," Valdez said, "but they're now the law. We need to help (vendors) understand them. We also want to help them understand how to get involved and try to change some of those things."

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695231426,00.html

You have got to be freakin kidding me?

Of course Vegas is full of these also , many doing
business from shopping carts

viva mexico , here we come

The taco cart rules are not unfair. The hispanic community here in UT has been whinning and boobing about this for months. You will find these guys all over down town SLC, and usually you find huge piles of trash next to these carts. I've even seen (and reported) many taco cart owners just drop a huge garbage bag on the street and walk off. In addition, there are many people loitering, urinating in public, etc. right by the taco carts. (Gee, it sounds like those fine folks The Watchdog is always meeting at the day labor sites in CA! ) Many people have gotten sick from eating off of these germ infested carts.
The biggest problem is these jokers will come set up in the parking lot of local business, while littering up their parking lots and chasing away customers from these other business.
Seeing as how SLC is a sanctuary city, I'm willing to bet many of these idiots are here illegally.
Just like all illegals, they complain when they have to follow the law because they have gotten away with breaking it for so long.

Oh, but of course......any requirement forcing these folks to operate in a sanitary, safe, and licensed manner is discriminatory.

Centro Civico is a joke

The Centro Civico OKs mediation

Rebecca Palmer Deseret Morning News
A dispute between two people who claim to be the legal president of Centro Civico Mexicano will be settled by the Utah Department of Commerce, Centro Civico board members decided Tuesday night.

President John Renteria, ousted in an emergency meeting held while he was in jail, and Centro Civico Secretary Margarita Rodriguez, who was selected to act as president at the emergency meeting, were directed to meet with the state department.

The decision was made after 90 minutes of contentious debate, which included shouting and accusations by several board members. The final, if temporary, compromise was reached when Renteria told board members he would contact state officials today and ask for their help.

Centro Civico Mexicano is the oldest nonprofit Hispanic organization in Utah, according to its Web site. It has been operating since 1939 and currently houses an alternative high school, a computer lab and an English-as-a-second-language program at its facilities, located at 155 S. 600 West. The organization also hosts cultural celebrations such as Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day.

Centro Civico has survived financial problems in recent years and is currently the subject of a police investigation into the theft of up to $20,000 in organization funds, according to Renteria.

Renteria, who has announced his candidacy for Salt Lake City mayor, was jailed for about two weeks in June for violating probation for misdemeanor traffic offenses. He has been sentenced to wear an ankle-monitoring device for 30 days, but his punishment has not yet begun. A hearing scheduled for Monday will decide conditions of the punishment, he said.

Renteria said after the meeting he was "guardedly optimistic" that he would be allowed to continue his civic duties while serving the 30-day sentence. He said he does not feel his conflicts with the Centro Civico board will affect his mayoral candidacy. He hopes to finish his term as president, which ends in November.

"I'm part of an ongoing effort to do something positive for the community," he said. "Centro Civico was here before I came; it's been here my whole life.... We have to do more to solidify, to unify."

Rodriguez said during the meeting the organization has lost confidence in Renteria and the board will not follow his leadership. She left the meeting before it was adjourned.

Board member Richard Montano agreed with Renteria that Centro Civico is a strong organization that will continue to help the Hispanic community.

"We're an intelligent, well-meaning people," he said. "This is a critical point in our agency and our community."

Neither Renteria nor Montano will attend a meeting, scheduled by Rodriguez for Saturday morning, to discuss Renteria's presidency, the men said Tuesday. They do not believe anything decided at the meeting would be legal under Centro Civico bylaws, and Renteria said the only way to keep the organization afloat is to do everything by the book.

E-mail: RPalmer@desnews.com

Contributing: Deborah Bulkeley

Copyright C 2007 Deseret News Publishing Co.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.

Now most normal law abiding citizens would consider this new law just common sense................But not to these people. Screw rules and health problems, I need to make money!

Under the amended ordinance, sidewalk vendors now must submit to a criminal background check, secure signed bathroom agreements with a neighboring business and provide written notice of intent to surrounding businesses and property owners before being issued a business license.

Some of the amendments, such as cleaning up spills and picking up litter, went into effect when the ordinance was passed. Those that pertain to business licenses take effect Jan. 1. All operators of sidewalk vending carts are required to renew their permits for 2008.

It all sounds reasonable to me, especially "signed bathroom agreements". Too bad there won't be any "bathroom monitors".

There is no way that I would eat anything from one of these venders, who knows what the meat is or how it was prepared. In mexico a lot of the venders sell cat, dog, and some times rat meat. When I lived there my friends warned me to never eat at one of the side walk venders.

I had a friend who ran a "roach coach" in Florida.......trust me.....that is with inspections and everything......anything less is truely unhealthy. NO WAY would I eat anything from these vendors. THANK YOU for destroying yet ANOTHER business!!!!!!!

I thought these went out in the early 1900's. just another attempt to turn us into the 3rd world cess pool Mexico.

Just say NO!!to them.