Heaven Snow kiosk owner Violet Saveh appeared before the Ceres City Council on Monday, Nov. 13 to complain about citizens who have been taking photos of her business and using them to complain that her operation is violating city codes.

While she didn't name anyone by name, she aimed her remarks at "individuals who can hear me tonight," of which Ceres resident John Warren was sitting in the audience. Warren recently sent emails to the city reporting that Saveh has a drive-up window despite the city’s denial of such a lane in May 2022. His emails included photos of cars at the service window of the kiosk building in the parking lot of La Sequoia Market. He also complained about an A-frame sign, which he said is not allowed. Saveh said the actions constitute harassment and that the photo taking made her teen employees nervous.

“When are we going to stop this type of behavior?” said Saveh. “We’ve had employees who want to quit on us because they feel awkward, they feel some type of way that their pictures are being taken for absolutely no reason.”

“My other concern is banners or A-frame signs,” said Saveh. “Really? Come on. Times are hard right now. You all know what’s going on all around the world. How do you guys want a small business to advertise? You have McDonald’s putting up banners, their flags about their drinks and their promos, whatever they have going on. You have all these other franchises having little A-frames going up left and right. Why are certain businesses being singled out?”

Saveh and the city have gone round and round about her kiosk since she introduced it in March 1996. In April 2021 the council allowed Saveh to put out tables, chairs and an awning for her customers.

When the snow-cone kiosk business first opened its operation was limited to 180 days out of the year through the administrative permit process. In April 2022 the Ceres Planning Commission gave Saveh the ability to operate year-round to serve coffee and teas in the colder month.

However her request for a use permit to operate a drive-thru lane was turned down despite city staff’s view that the request was in line with commercial zones. The administrative permits that were approved in previous years did not allow for a drive-thru operation due to concerns that a drive-thru would potentially obstruct traffic flow inside the parking lot area that serves the customers of La Sequoia Super Market and off-site traffic flow with vehicles queuing into the Central Avenue roadway.

At that time, Planning Commissioner Bob Kachel told Saveh: “I understand what you’re trying to do but I also think they’ve been in business for 15 years and now they want to go basically to a permanent business. It might be time to get a permanent building at a location where it’s appropriate and they can have a better entrance and exit.”

The business continues to transact business to persons in a car idling or parked at the window on the east side of the small portable building.