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Washington Evening Journal
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Final reading for food truck ordinance changes Tuesday
No revisions expected, but door open to later amendments
WASHINGTON — City officials expect to pass the third and final reading of an amendment to municipal food truck codes Tuesday night without changes.
The amendments were prompted by feedback from community members to new rules enacted early this year, with the following changes of note:
- Licenses for mobile food vendors are valid for a year after issued, rather than expiring Dec. 31.
- A spelled out fire inspection safety process, including a local fire chief’s review for inspections completed by out-of-town departments.
- Exempting vendors at the Washington County Fair, as well as those who do not cook food on-site, from fire safety inspections and licensing requirements.
At the July 5 City Council Meeting, the first public hearing for the proposed changes, City Clerk Sally Hart said the rules were a work in progress.
“We’ve been through our first season, and we’ve seen where we need to tweak what we have,” she said. “When we reviewed this, City Administrator McCusker and myself met with our fire chief and our inspector … and then we also had environmental health representatives there as well. They were able to tell us about county requirements as well as state requirements so we can really assure safety while working with the vendors.”
Typically, an ordinance change receives two public readings from a city council before state code allows decision-makers to waive the typical wait for a third and final reading. But at the city’s July 18 meeting, the group decided to hold off, citing an email from a concerned citizen.
That email argued that too much leeway for mobile vendors would trade off with brick and mortar eateries in town, running with higher overhead costs and more local taxes.
“I believe if we have food trucks in town daily we won't be getting or keeping restaurants in town as I am sure is cheaper to have a food truck than owning or paying rent on a building,” said the message, sent by area resident Kevin Erpelding to members of the City Council. “I agree with food trucks for some events for food but this also takes away from the local restaurants.”
At the July 18 meeting, Council Member Fran Stigers called the memo “thought-provoking,” and suggested a delay on the amendments’ final passage.
“Pick any restaurant in town, they’re dedicated to Washington because they have a physical structure here,” he said. “I don’t think the people that have the mobiles, which I do eat at, by the way … they don’t have the connection here that people uptown on the square do.”
Still, City Administrator Deanna McCusker said the rules were shaped by extensive input from the Chamber, Main Street, models in other cities, and local officials.
She recommended passing the amendments as written, but leaving the door open to further amendments down the road.
Elected officials agreed to take the weeks between readings to mull things over. As the calendar approaches Aug. 1, McCusker said no changes were expected Tuesday night.
“We are moving forward with approving as it is written,” she said in an email to The Union on Thursday. “We can always amend it in the future.”
Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com
