EDITORIAL: A final word on U. City vending

City Council should push through the proposed vending ordinance, but proceed with care. To students, faculty members, staff and other members of the University community concerned about vending, we encourage you to voice your opinion at the public hearings before City Council today. To Council members, we say don't rush a decision. Listen as supporters and opponents of the ordinance present their views. More than a year of negotiations has gone into this proposal, and the version that receives a vote should support the best possible legislation. Many aspects of the proposed ordinance are well-directed. Most essentially, in the interest of fairness to retailers -- both corporate chains and local independents -- vendors should be banned from the streets and sidewalks in front of stores. With the changes in the planned locations of the vending plazas, however, some of the specific restrictions might warrant reevaluation. The regulations on Walnut street, for instance, should be relaxed now that only one fresh- air food plaza to house displaced vendors is planned for the vicinity of 34th and Walnut streets. Also important is the portion of the ordinance that stipulates a phasing out of electrical generators. As demonstrated by an explosion outside of the Annenberg School two years ago, such generators pose a serious safety risk and must be eliminated. Additionally, a committee to oversee the prioritization and allocation of spaces to individual vendors is a good idea. Each group, however, must be empowered to appoint its own representatives. Having Penn administrators appoint members of the committee, as University officials have suggested, would be insulting to the constituent groups. Over the past two years, the controversy that has surrounded the issue of vending regulation has shown just how important vending is to the University community. We hope Council reaches a resolution on the issue with equivalent care.