Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Jessica Walker, President and CEO of Manhattan Chamber of Commerce
3:33:51
·
108 sec
Jessica Walker, representing the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, presented testimony on street vending regulations. She emphasized the need for a balanced approach that supports both street vendors and brick-and-mortar businesses.
- Proposed a system of designated vending spaces linked to permits, which could be reserved through an online portal
- Suggested working with BIDs and community boards to identify suitable vending locations
- Opposed lifting the permit cap before addressing current system issues
- Emphasized the importance of proper location and safe operation for vendors
Jessica Walker
3:33:51
I'm Jessica Walker.
3:33:52
I'm the president and CEO of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce.
3:33:56
We represent the 125,000 businesses across Manhattan, both large and small.
3:34:01
New York absolutely needs vibrant food truck and street vendor scene, and we support them.
3:34:06
The citywide small business resource network that we operate with the other four borough wide chambers of commerce with funding from the city council can provide free help to any business in the city with fewer than 100 employees, including street vendors and food trucks, and we are here to help.
3:34:20
We support the decriminalization of street vending, but completely lifting the permit cap before solving the problems with the current system makes no sense.
3:34:30
Let's solve the problem.
3:34:31
The problem is about where and how.
3:34:34
Vendors have to be in a proper location and operating safely.
3:34:37
So let's solve the problem.
3:34:39
Start by working with bids and community boards to identify the places where vendors can operate legally without being disruptive.
3:34:46
Create an inventory of available spaces and then designate the proper times and uses for each space so there is never unfair competition with a brick and mortar.
3:34:54
The number of spaces would be linked to the number of permits issued by the city, which makes sense.
3:34:59
Then each vending slot operates like a parking space that individual permitted vendors can reserve through an online portal on a daily, weekly, monthly, or annual basis and you know whatever the city deems is best and fairest.
3:35:12
Then the vendor can use that space freely.
3:35:15
Such a system would be largely self enforcing because if you show up and someone is taking your the space you reserved, you can usually shoo them away without incident.
3:35:23
This is only one possibility.
3:35:25
My main point here is that there is a compromise here that supports all businesses.
3:35:30
All businesses.
3:35:31
We don't need to fight over crumbs.
3:35:33
Simply lifting the cap does not get us there.
3:35:36
So let's get there.
3:35:37
I think we're all committed to working with you to do that.
3:35:39
Thank you.