Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Nick Aquino, Staff Attorney at Microenterprise Project at Volunteers of Legal Service
3:36:36
·
118 sec
Nick Aquino, a staff attorney with the Microenterprise Project at Volunteers of Legal Service, testifies in support of Intro 431 and Intro 408 to reform the street vending system in New York City. He highlights the current challenges faced by aspiring street vendors due to the broken permitting system and emphasizes the need for expanded access to permits and support services.
- Aquino shares examples of clients struggling to obtain permits, including a disabled veteran who has been on the waiting list for years.
- He advocates for Intro 431 to expand access to permits and end arbitrary caps on vending licenses.
- Aquino also supports Intro 408, which would create an office of street vendor services within SBS to provide education, outreach, and compliance support.
Nick Aquino
3:36:36
Good afternoon.
3:36:37
My name is Nick Aquino and I'm a staff attorney with the Microenterprise Project at Volunteers of Legal Service.
3:36:44
We help small businesses, small business owners access free legal services in New York City.
3:36:50
For aspiring street vendors, the path to legal compliance is often impossible not because they refuse to comply, but because the current permitting system is broken.
3:37:00
When clients come to us for help, in nearly every case, we must tell clients that they simply cannot legally vend.
3:37:07
One of our clients, a disabled veteran in his 60s, has been on the waiting list for years.
3:37:12
Although veterans are supposed to have some preference, the reality is that even with this benefit, he has been unable to secure a permit to run his food cart.
3:37:21
And unfortunately, his story is not unique.
3:37:23
We urge the council to pass intro four thirty one, which addresses this inequity by expanding access to permits and ending arbitrary caps that keep thousands of vendors in legal limbo.
3:37:35
This bill would bring much needed order and fairness to the system.
3:37:39
But access alone is not enough.
3:37:42
Even when rare opportunities to apply for licenses arise, vendors frequently lack the support to successfully complete the process.
3:37:50
One of my clients, after years on the waitlist, was finally given the chance to apply.
3:37:55
But due to a minor misunderstanding in the application process, he was denied and pushed back to the line again.
3:38:03
That is why Intro four zero eight is equally critical.
3:38:06
It would create an office of street vendor services within SBS to provide vital education, outreach, and compliance support.
3:38:14
With proper training and resources, vendors can be fully integrated into the city's small business ecosystem.
3:38:20
Thank you for the opportunity to submit this testimony.
3:38:22
On behalf of myself and volunteers of legal service, we urge the the council to pass intros four zero eight and four three one create a fair, supportive, and inclusive system for street vendors across New York City.
3:38:34
Thank you.