Council debates food truck rules

More discussion planned

Food trucks might have to stop at the Vermilion city line as City Council continues to debate on regulations for the mobile eateries.

On Aug. 13, Council’s Legislative Committee resumed its debate with discussion but no formal action. Chairwoman Monica Stark said she would revise draft legislation based on the evening’s suggestions, with more talks scheduled for the committee meeting of Sept. 24.

Earlier this year, Council began considering the rules because Vermilion could be an ideal food truck location with the city’s seasonal residents, tourists and popular festivals. However, Council members have stated they don’t the trucks to take business away from the city’s existing restaurants.

On Aug. 13, Councilman John Gabriel said Council should consider whether to allow the trucks in at all. Stark suggested Council consider a motion to ban the food trucks, but no one proposed barring the vehicles entirely.

If Council allows them in, then the board should outline what restrictions the city will have, he said.

Council stopped short of a

Vermilion could be an ideal food truck location with the city’s seasonal residents, tourists and popular festivals.

food truck ban, although generally it agreed the city needs to regulate the trucks.

Council President Steven Herron said food truck operators are legitimate business people, but downtown Vermilion does not need them at all, other than for the Fish Festival and the Woollybear Festival.

The members considered rules from other cities, including Columbus, which focused on safety requirements and inspections of equipment.

Gabriel suggested Council impose a strict time limit on trucks, such as visiting the city once a month. Vermilion

could allow the trucks only on public land for public events, he said.

Vermilion currently allows food trucks, which are permitted through the mayor’s office. Mayor Jim Forthofer noted he has a lot of discretion in considering permit requests, but he is not comfortable with that. Vermilion would be better served with universal regulations open to everyone.

For the new rules, Council agreed nuances remain.

For example, currently the Festival of the Fish pays for health and fire inspections of food vendors; the food trucks and stands that come for the Woollybear Festival are inspected but the city does not get money back to cover the cost of the city work, Forthofer said. Councilman

Frank Loucka questioned if the city is recovering its costs through inspection fees.

One resident suggested defining a food truck because there is a difference between food trucks and mobile food stands, which may have a vendor’s license attached to a permanent location. The resident also said the city could infringe on some business owners’ rights because there is a difference between having a food truck show up in someone’s residential driveway and having one parked in a commercial lot zoned for business.

Council generally agreed the city would continue to allow food trucks that cater private events held on private property and do not sell food to the general public as people walk up.