Some councilors want vendors to have longer season at Worcester's Elm Park

WORCESTER — The City Council touched on street vending ordinances and the safety condition of private streets in a meeting that went for under an hour, much shorter than usual.

Tuesday's City Council meeting was the last scheduled meeting before the Nov. 7 elections and was a far cry from an emotionally charged and nearly five-hour Oct. 17 meeting.

Saying he wanted additional information from the law department to make more informed decisions, Councilor-at-Large Morris Bergman submitted three items related to street vendors and busking.

One order requested the city solicitor to report whether city ordinances impose an age minimum for receiving a permit as a street vendor. Another order requests a report from the solicitor on whether any ordinances exist regarding street performers, or buskers.

The third ordinance requests the Department of Public Works and Parks to provide a report about whether any rebates or credits will come for licensed street vendors, whose season was reportedly shortened from Dec. 31 to Oct. 15.

Longer selling season

Geoff Killebrew, president of F.A.M. JAM Event Group, spoke in support of the orders as someone who received a bid to operate as a vendor at Elm Park this year.

Killebrew said he has dealt with discriminatory and inequitable processes on street vending and performing in the city and started a community project to revise the issues.

In addition, Killebrew said he found out that applicants could have their hawkers and peddlers license if the superintendent's office signed off on it, but the police department did not have a precedent for youth applying for the licenses.

"Having this regulation revised to include youth would give them the ability to start businesses by sharing their creativity and public spaces as an alternative to after-school jobs," Killebrew said.

Bergman said it was his understanding that vendors made full payments to use the parks to Dec. 31, but the season was shortened to Oct. 15 and he wanted a conversation about whether some sort of credit should be given to vendors.

Councilor-at-Large Khrystian King added an order requesting for the vendor season to return to Dec. 31 in the future.

The items were all sent forward to the relevant departments.

Street talk

Several items related to streets and traffic were brought forward Tuesday including one from Mayor Joseph M. Petty calling for listening sessions about the city's private streets.

Petty requested the city manager work with the commissioner of public works and parks to conduct listening sessions in each city district to educate residents who live on private streets on the process for converting private streets to public ones.

"People are asking about the conversion process. It can be confusing sometimes. I think it's confusing to us sometimes because the rules seem to change," Petty said.

King signed onto the order and raised an additional concern about how hazardous the condition of some private streets has become, particularly for first responders. He asked for reports from the police and fire departments on when those private roads become an impediment for first responders.

"I know there's one particular street over there in the West Side where I think I might use some sort of all-terrain vehicle to get through," King said.

District 2 City Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson agreed that there were private roads where it is difficult for emergency services to drive, saying she previously asked for a report on the condition of those roads and if there was anything the city could do.

Councilor-at-Large Kathleen Toomey also requested the city send information about the meetings to residents who live on private streets.

Bergman also asked for a report from the law department on what jurisdiction the city has over private roads over safety issues, adding it is possible there may not be much the city could do with private property.

King said he wanted to identify locations with difficult private streets and see if the city could be a more engaged partner with improving safety in those neighborhoods.

The order was sent to the city manager's office.

Mero-Carlson also delayed a vote on her order asking for an update on the 340 Main St. project, including "whether a TIF (tax increment financing)/TIE (tax increment exemption) benefit is transferred to a new owner if the project has not been completed."

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Some councilors want vendors to have longer season at Worcester's Elm Park