1st president of new Fresno Food Vendor Association announced

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The city of Fresno is taking action to support local food vendors following the tragic death of a local food vendor who was shot and killed in March.

"Before they would just steal, then they started hurting people, and now they are killing people." Those are the words of a local street vendor who says help from the city is a dream come true.

Fresno City Council President Luis Chavez says the city is moving quickly to ensure local vendors have the support they've needed for years.

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On Wednesday, Miguel Lopez was announced as the first president of the newly created Food Vendor's Association.

He says he feels a lot of responsibility but feels enthusiastic about coming out from the shadows.

"This is the first step in making sure that the city not only sponsors but recognizes and respects the food vendor industry," Chavez said, "(Lopez) is the person who's been at the forefront of advocating and pushing for a lot of the safety guidelines."

In addition to the association launch, the city is allocating close to $1 million to revamp a warehouse near Chukchansi Park in downtown Fresno, which will be a one-stop-shop for all food vendors.

RELATED: Fresno food vendors say they live in constant fear

"Someone walks in without their license or anything. They can walk out with everything they need to make a living and provide the great products the community supports," said Chavez.

Lopez says he looks forward to encouraging fellow food vendors to join the local movement that aims to impact their jobs for years to come positively.

The first Food Vendor's Association Meeting will take place late next week. Chavez says the announcement will be made soon.