NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The New Orleans City Council took up the issue of unlicensed street vendors and permitting at a council meeting on Monday, June 26.
All Korie Mastin wants to do is be able to sell his photos on Bourbon Street.
“There’s no reason to restrict me from Bourbon Street. I haven’t done anything wrong,” said Mastin.
Mastin is a street photographer, and he’s taking up the permit issue with the city council.
“I would love to get the permit first of all, but if I do get the permit then my business will fail because they’ll restrict me from Bourbon Street and I will not make more money,” said Mastin.
The city council said there are several issues with some street vendors selling art, while others are selling food and beer out of coolers or the back of their trucks, and they don’t have the proper permits.
“We want everyone to play by the rules. We don’t want any one company, family, or business, etc. to skirt the rules. That doesn’t help the city move forward,” said District C Councilmember Freddie King.
Sinnidra Taylor runs a non-profit called, “Friends of Codey’s NOLA,” and her mission is to help small business owners navigate the barriers of the permitting process.
“Regulation is easy. Enforce, enforce, enforce. Police and task force are in place, that’s easy, but how about we pull back the layers and make this accessible to everyone,” said Taylor.
She says there are ways for business owners and vendors to go about it the right way.
“There’s way more energy behind regulation, than actually creating equitable pathways and that is the issue,” Taylor said.
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