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Alarcon has been publicly warned — by a top Building and Safety official — that the Art Walk Task Force is on shaky ground pursuing such fees from people peddling edibles in private parking lots.

"We don't address the food trucks at all, and we don't [get involved in issuing permits] to them," Building and Safety Chief Inspector Todd Borzi informed Alarcon at her May task force meeting.

But Alarcon insists, of both the Historic Core ban and of her emerging demand that the food truck mini-events pushed to the periphery directly pay special-event fees to City Hall: "These lots themselves are deemed special events — and subject to the special-events permit process."

Gall, at the Institute for Justice, says, "I've heard in other cities where food trucks, within an actual festival, may have to pay — because the theory is they're paying for extra city services." But, he says, if the trucks are banned from the core of an event nobody owns, "What is the fee supposed to pay for?"

On May 10, sitting with Alarcon, the Weekly asked her how things were going. She painted a rosy picture, saying she was grateful that Moller's nonprofit is paying monthly, special-event fees to the city.

Things haven't worked out so well for the "parking-lot pimps." Art peddlers also were forced out of the outdoor parking lots by the ban. But unlike the trucks, they found indoor locations in the Historic Core where most Art Walk customers gather.

Alarcon says it's a big improvement "because the food-truck lots were utilizing all of the parking lots inside the core," and July's accidental death of the baby involved a driver trying to park someplace else.

Dane doesn't see it that way, saying, "Unjustly, the food trucks were blamed."

Reach the writer at amydsilverstein@gmail.com.

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12 comments
Burris Travis
Burris Travis

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Burris Travis
Burris Travis

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DTLA for 5 years!
DTLA for 5 years!

I was on the block when the accident happened. Typical of LA government to come in and ruin a successful event based on a lie to extort money. Food trucks had NOTHING to do with a private car jumping a curb. Why don't they worry about the wannabe thugs that are coming into the neighborhood during artwalk and starting fights? Everything good must come to an end I guess. It was a very good for a while. Friends used to come to DTLA on artwalk days every month and we would grab a bite(sometimes at a food truck), walk around, buy some art or at least discover incredible talent and purchase later, hit a few bars and walk back upstairs. With that being said, I have NOT been to artwalk in months. The whole vibe has changed (for the worse). I would like to see the numbers of how much the city pulled in sales tax, vendor permits, and parking fees(all the lots are taxed). It's a random Thursday night when most people would just be at home NOT spending any money. IMO we need as much activity as possible to increase the tax base. LA and to a greater extent CA have an anti business rep for a reason and it's well earned based on what I see in the case of artwalk!

Billy
Billy

A buddy's mother makes $65 every hour on the computer. She has been without a job for seven months but last month her payment was $14505 just working on the computer for a few hours. Read more on this web site lazycash42.c()m

Gilbert
Gilbert

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Gilbert
Gilbert

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Kim Cooper
Kim Cooper

The saddest thing about this very unfortunate situation is that the LA Weekly was comfortable referring to the Downtown Art Walk's non-profit board as "represent[ing] downtown business interests." That certainly was not the case when my husband Richard Schave and I volunteered to create the non-profit, after Bert Green asked us to take over management of the Art Walk in late 2008. We stated at that time that Art Walk through its non-profit was to be a "People Improvement District" -- as opposed to the Business Improvement Districts which do represent these commercial interests. Because certain business interests refused to work with the non-profit while we ran it, we ended up resigning from the non-profit after its second board meeting. I think it would behoove the Art Walk board to revisit the "Making The Case" document that it voted into place in October 2009, and try once again to achieve its goals. Even three years later, many of the event's ongoing problems could still be solved by following these directions for improved public safety, fundraising, community advisory committees, officially curated events and other aspects of non-profit management. A link to that document is below. http://artwalk2009.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/policy-directions-abandoned-by-the-downtown-art-walk-board-in-2010/ - Kim Cooper, founding Treasurer / Curator, Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk

Tonebjd
Tonebjd

If it's only a restriction in the historic core, and only on artwalk night for a specific number of hours, it, by definition, is not a ban. It's a time, place and manner restriction.

Kim Cooper
Kim Cooper

The saddest thing about this very unfortunate situation is that the LA Weekly was comfortable referring to the Downtown Art Walk's non-profit board as "represent[ing] downtown business interests." That certainly was not the case when my husband Richard Schave and I volunteered to create the non-profit, after Bert Green asked us to take over management of the Art Walk in late 2008. We stated at that time that Art Walk through its non-profit was to be a "People Improvement District" -- as opposed to the Business Improvement Districts which do represent these commercial interests. Because certain business interests refused to work with the non-profit while we ran it, we ended up resigning from the non-profit after its second board meeting. I think it would behoove the Art Walk board to revisit the "Making The Case" document that it voted into place in October 2009, and try once again to achieve its goals. Even three years later, many of the event's ongoing problems could still be solved by following these directions for improved public safety, fundraising, community advisory committees, officially curated events and other aspects of non-profit management. A link to that document is below. http://artwalk2009.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/policy-directions-abandoned-by-the-downtown-art-walk-board-in-2010/ - Kim Cooper, founding Treasurer / Curator, Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk

Ilikecoldwater
Ilikecoldwater

art square was kicked out of their building by the owners & all the residents are happy. also, someone should teach this reporter how to write, this crappy story sounds like that dane guy paid her to write it. no wonder no one reads this paper any more.

Gentry June
Gentry June

as Hazel answered I am inspired that a student can profit $8394 in four weeks on the computer. did you look at this link lazycash42.c()m

Ijustlivehere
Ijustlivehere

Last I heard, news was supposed to be unbiased. Seems this author has a thing for food trucks. Flat out they are the problem. They bring hoards of people to the event with their "tweets" and throw up their hands and the extra cost they produce for the area, the city, and the people who live here. Keep it up guys--the event can get shut down don't think you're above it and then you will have nothing.

 
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