PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez, Deputy Director of Street Vendor Project on Small Business Intros
2:51:25
ยท
3 min
Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez, Deputy Director of the Street Vendor Project, provided testimony on Intros 1132 and 1082, emphasizing the importance of including street vendors in small business initiatives and support services. She highlighted the challenges faced by street vendors, who are predominantly immigrants, and stressed the need for more inclusive and accessible resources from the Department of Small Business Services (SBS).
- Advocated for expanding the definition of "violation" in Intro 1132 to include criminal summonses issued to street vendors
- Emphasized the high costs associated with starting a food vending business and the importance of studying these costs in Intro 1082
- Suggested improvements to SBS data collection to better track services provided to street vendors
Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez
2:51:25
Hi.
2:51:25
Good afternoon.
2:51:26
Thank you so much, Chair Feliz and majority leader, Farias, and the committee for the opportunity to testify today, and for all your work that you do supporting all of our city's smallest businesses, including micro businesses like street vendors.
2:51:39
Today, I'll be providing testimony on intros 1132 and 1082.
2:51:44
As folks are are in agreement, street vendors are city's smallest businesses who provide the essential services, products, paying taxes, creating jobs, and generating revenue in their communities.
2:51:55
96% of street vendors are immigrants who hail from all across the globe, and most of them have mixed immigration status as well.
2:52:02
1st, in in response to some of the testimony earlier, I would like to note that local law 18 of 2021 designated, and I quote, the Department of Small Business Services to provide training, outreach, and education to all street vendors on entrepreneurship and compliance with all applicable local laws and regulations as well as solicit feedback from the street vendor community.
2:52:25
So I do wanna highlight that SBS is the agency designated by law to conduct education to street vendor small businesses just like to all other small businesses.
2:52:33
I mean, it's an essential that SBS does have the resources to complete this work.
2:52:37
We would also encourage that the SBS boot camp, modules be offered in languages other than English or in addition to English, so that we can refer street vendors to participate and take advantage of these resources.
2:52:50
Regarding intro 1132, we'd both like to encourage and confirm that the targeted regulatory compliance services proposed for small businesses is inclusive of micro businesses like street vendors, that this moves in tandem with intro 408, which would establish a division within the department of small business services to assist street vendors and, again, require that SBS offer trainings, and conduct outreach to street vendors very much in line with intro 1132.
2:53:17
Would also like to encourage that the definition of the term violation as written in intro 11 32 be expanded to include criminal summonses that are issued to our city's smallest businesses in addition to violations
UNKNOWN
2:53:30
issued expired.
Oswald Feliz
2:53:31
Oops.
2:53:31
You could you could use another 30 seconds to conclude.
Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez
2:53:34
Okay.
2:53:34
I'll go quick.
2:53:34
Thank you.
2:53:36
Because, in just the 1st 9 months of 2024, NYPD issued over 1500 criminal summonses to street vendors small businesses, which include, you know, violations like failing to display a permit, failing to display prices, vending on a sidewalk less than 12 feet wide.
2:53:52
So we just encourage that, in addition to oath, criminal summonses are also included in the definition of the term violation.
2:53:59
In regards to intro 1082 would just like to highlight how important this is as well.
2:54:05
It's been a challenge to many vendors who finally receive their supervisory license to actually raise the upfront capital needed to begin their food vendor businesses specifically, because, for example, a standard halal push cart or taco cart can range from 35 k to 50 k.
2:54:21
And for many, this comes as a surprise and delays the process of actually, obtaining the license and the permit.
2:54:28
So including a study and report on the types of fees and costs to maintain a vending business would be very helpful.
2:54:34
Lastly, in response to the earlier questions regarding documentation of services rendered by SBS, we would encourage that a question, like the type of business establishment, I e storefront or street vendor, would be should be asked because it would be helpful to collect to ensure that services are indeed being rendered to street vendors.
2:54:52
Thank you so much for the opportunity to to testify.
2:54:54
And if there are any regarding immigration as well, happy to answer those here.