Food truck ordinance passes first reading

WASHINGTON — The Washington City Council has approved the first of three steps in an effort to overhaul its food truck ordinance, after passing a reading of the proposed new city code Tuesday night.

The language includes many changes from the current law for vendors. The list includes a simplified process mobile food unit licenses, spells out a fire inspection requirement and requires that food trucks park at least 100 feet from brick-and-mortar food and drink establishments, among other things.

The new code would allow vendors to choose between an annual or daily license, rather than the current array which includes weekly and monthly options. Fees for the licenses, however, are unclear, and would be set by a resolution, which can only be passed after the ordinance takes effect.

“It seems that most cities our size have an annual fee of $200-$250,” City Clerk Sally Hart wrote in a memo to council members. “My recommendation would be for the annual license fee and fire department inspection total cost to be in the same range. And to perhaps follow Marshalltown’s example with a $50/day option to encourage an annual license.”

Cheryl Richardson, owner of food truck Cheryl’s Ice Cream, encouraged the city to keep that fee low.

“A few years ago, we were paying minimal to get a state license to set up around town, and that fee has gone up to $250,” she said. “We’re already paying for liability insurance and we’re paying to set up in town, and we’re paying for license fees.”

The new code would exempt several vendors from the fire and license fees required to obtain a license. On that list are seasonal produce stands, farmers market vendors, sport-affiliated concession stands and vendors participating in a council-approved event.

Hart said the farmers market counted as a council-approved event, with the specific mention in the code serving as a clarification. As for produce stands, she said the vendors posed less of a safety risk.

“The annual fire inspection would include anything that is preparing food, and typically with your produce stand, you don’t have those same utilities being used,” she said. “You wouldn’t have a cooking surface.”

As for event-related exemptions, the new wording would remove fees, but not the inspection requirements.

An amendment to the originally proposed language allows vendors to have Washington’s fire inspection form completed by their own community’s fire department, if they don’t operate out of Washington County.

Council Member Bethany Glinsmann said the change would incentivize business in town for out-of-county food trucks, which would otherwise have to schedule a trip to Washington before applying for their license.

“I think it would be a pretty big burden for them to make a separate appointment with the fire department if they’re only coming to town for an event,” she said. “The inspection would still happen, we would still make sure it was safe.”

City officials said a previously-questioned clause requiring mobile food setups to remain at least 100 feet from brick and mortar food establishments would not apply to those at special events, and was a non-issue at certain popular food truck locations.

“Specifically at Scooters and the parking lot of O’Reilly’s, there’s 100 feet there, just barely,” Mayor Jaron Rosien said.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com