[media-credit name=’AJ Maclean’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]The Madison City Council voted Tuesday night to prohibit late-night vending in residential areas, forcing the vendors to move to new vending locations within the State Street Mall and Capitol Square.

Member of the Vending Oversight Committee Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said the Madison Police Department and many residents of Langdon Street support the law. Most of the clients are intoxicated and attract attention, whether it is by fights, noise or litter, Verveer added.

“I was getting fatigued by all the complaints year in and year out when I finally realized it’s just not right to have late-night vending in residential areas.”

The law allows the vendors to continue their business on residential streets, such as Langdon Street, until 9 p.m. After that, the vendors must move to a location within the new late-night vending boundaries.

Maxin Okafo, co-owner of Gin’s Chicken and Fish, said because the food cart is only open between midnight and 3:30 a.m., the new ordinance will destroy her business. Okafo added she believes her business will not survive in one of the new vending locations.

“I wouldn’t have developed my business in that area if I knew once my business started to thrive, I would be uprooted and pushed into another area where I have to start all over,” Okafo said.

According to Justin Okafo, the other owner of Gin’s who has had complaints brought against him for noise violations, Langdon Street should not be considered a residential area because the street is populated with students. There is a constant turnover of new residents on Langdon Street as opposed to other residential areas with families who will live in a house for years, he added.

City officials contend the ordinance is not about one vendor. Numerous complaints about a majority of the vendors have been made over the past few years, he added.

According to Verveer, four of the five vendors in the campus area do not have a problem with the new law. The new vending areas will push the vending carts closer to the bars and closer to thousands of potential new customers that could bring in more profits for the owners, he added.

“They are hugely popular, they’ll be more visible, more obvious and it won’t be any secret where Gin’s possibly will relocate,” Verveer said.

Ald. Austin King, District 8, the only alder to vote against the ban, said many of his constituents have complained about noise or litter from the late-night vendors. Although vendors probably would not lose business by moving to State Street, complete banning of residential vending is inappropriate, King added.

If vendors’ business is hurting, the City Council can change the law in the future, according to Ald. Cindy Thomas, District 20. Thomas said the decision to ban late-night vending in residential areas was a balancing act between small businesses and residents. The City Council has to pay attention to complaints from residents who have trouble sleeping and see litter from late-night food carts.

Ald. Brenda Konkel, District 2, said the City Council needs to be aware of the effect its decision has on the vendors. It is the responsibility of the businesses to gather this information, she added, but the Vending Oversight Committee should report the effects to the council.