OGDEN -- The city council amended an ordinance Tuesday night to establish a maximum of 23 sites downtown for street vendors and require several taco stands that encircle the Municipal Building to relocate.
Jesse Garcia was the only city council member to vote against the ordinance change. Garcia said he is concerned about a provision that prevents vendors from operating during events such as parades.
City Councilman Brandon Stephenson said dispersing vendors throughout the downtown area instead of having all of them on the Municipal Building block between Washington and Grant avenues from 25th to 26th streets is beneficial.
"It's a smart thing to do," he said. "It provides a walkable downtown."
Twelve of the 23 approved sites would be designated for food sales, and the remainder would be set aside for nonfood vendors.
Ogden's current ordinance does not address the number of vendors that can locate in an area. It only specifies the downtown area where they are allowed.
Street vendors have been allowed in Ogden since 1989.
Approval of the ordinance amendments comes on the heels of a moratorium enacted in July on new applications for street vendor business licenses.
The city council enacted the moratorium at the request of the administration as a result of concerns from city officials and business owners.
Some of the concerns centered on traffic congestion caused by vendors, as well as trash and debris and damage to city property around food cart sites and unfair competition to established businesses.
Several street vendors attended Tuesday night's meeting but did not address the city council.
Tony Vargas, who owns Costenos Tacos, which operates a cart on the sidewalk in front of the Municipal Building, said after the council vote he's satisfied with the establishment of specific sites for vendors.
"It's very good," he said. "It gives people more places to choose from."
Nine street vendors are licensed by the city, with eight on the Municipal Building block.
Three of the vendors on the block will have to relocate to other spots downtown when the amended ordinance goes into effect Jan. 1.
CORRECTION: Ogden has established a maximum of 23 downtown sites for street vendors of all kinds, not just food vendors. A headline in some editions of Wednesday's Standard-Examiner was incorrect on that point.
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