The Dixon City Council approved the second reading of an ordinance designed to eliminate sidewalk vendors within the city limits of Dixon.  While it was pointed out that no ethnicity other than Hispanics would be affected, the council led by councilmen Thom Bogue and Don Hendershot again was in complete denial of this fact.

Rather than looking at the impact on low-income laborers willing to suffer the daily heat, both attempted to justify their positions with concern about public health and safety.  Hendershot spoke about people “setting up a barbeque operation on dry grass”, which was an off-topic point given that the ordinance does not prevent vendors from operating on private property.

Bogue who was similarly off target, pointed out that “other larger cities like San Jose had streets that looked like flea markets” and vendors were other than Hispanic.  Since the city of concern is Dixon and not San Jose, his argument at best was anecdotal and not relevant.  Again, Bogue failed to identify one vendor in Dixon who was not Hispanic.

The ordinance requires sidewalk street vendors to get permits and a business license.  One critic stated that “an organizer would need to get permits and a business license, but his or her employees would not.  This countered the argument that substantial revenue would be added to the city coffers to pay for sidewalk and street repair, which was also one of Bogue’s responses to what exactly the benefit to the vendor would be from the city government licensing them.

Councilman Jim Ernest preferred not to enter the previously described debate and rather focused on the fact that this action was taken because of the State and Senate bill SB946 which seriously curtailed city’s rights to prohibit these businessmen and women on the assumption that legislators were attempting to buy their votes.

Mayor Steve Bird wanted even more control and suggested that the County Health Department should be involved.  Bird was told by staff that the Health Department doesn’t get involved with food items which are not cooked, such as ice cream, fresh produce, or cold drinks which the vendors in Dixon sell.

The other big issue on tonight’s agenda was putting in a shade structure on the $4 million Pardi Market plaza site to the tune of anywhere from an additional $150,000 to a quarter of a million.  The discussion hinged on just how much of the new park would be shaded with the stage area as the primary target.  After much discussion, direction was given to go forward with one option.  Councilman Bogue asked from where the money was coming to fund this improvement.  City manager Jim Lindley replied they had not determined which fund would be used.

Public comment focused on the State Water Board meeting to determine the limits on Chromium 6.  City Treasurer Jim Ward, councilman Bogue, and citizen activist Michael Ceremello attended this meeting with each of them pointing out different aspects of their presentations in response to the Water Board’s staff diametrically opposed debatable points.  One such point was the cost to the individual rate payer which was presented at either $8 or $60 by the staff while the judge’s commentary on litigation against the State for not ascertaining these costs was set at $467 per month.