A new bill that could go before Metro Council could change some regulations for street vendors, like those who sell The Contributor.
Metro Council Member Steve Glover from District 12 has drafted a bill he said could possibly require street vendors to take safety training courses, and get permits from the city to work.
Metro Police may also have to take part in the training. Vendors who violate the code could possibly lose the right to sell items on street corners.
“We haven’t finished the conversation,” said Glover. “It looks like we are working in the right direction. It’s going to be good for people who are vendors, and for the public and all citizens of Nashville.”
Glover originally presented a bill that would ban street vendors from selling items to people in cars, but has since deferred the legislation indefinitely. He said he drafted the bill due to safety concerns, after receiving regular complaints from residents about vendors being in the streets.
Brady Banks, the Executive Director of The Contributor, said before vendors can sell papers, they already undergo a three hour training session that includes information on city ordinances. He wasn’t aware of an accident involving a vendor in the last 8 years. He said he is waiting to see Glover’s finalized bill.
“At the end of the day, it may not really be different,” said Banks. “We need to see the specifics before we make a decision on opposition or support.”
Glover said he hopes to finalize the specifics of the bill in the next month or so, and then file the legislation.
The Contributor started in Nashville in 2007. There are currently over 300 vendors and it is the largest street newspaper in the country.
