Commission adopts revised mobile food vendor rules, grandfathering existing permitted vendors

The City Commission approved changes to Leesburg's mobile food vendor ordinance at the Aug. 11 meeting after staff updated the proposal to reflect questions raised at earlier hearings and the Florida legislative changes staff cited.

What changed: Senior Planner Max Van Allen summarized adjustments staff made since the June hearing. Notable changes adopted or clarified by the commission include: - Measurement method for the 200‑foot buffer from restaurants (measured property line to property line). - A temporary use pathway allowing a vendor to operate up to seven consecutive days twice per year (maximum 14 days) on a property that otherwise meets location requirements. - Vendors may remain on site overnight if secured, equipment is stored inside and the truck is not operated beyond the business hours of the principal on‑site business. - A minimum 10‑foot clearance from the public right‑of‑way for mobile food trucks. - Staff confirmed handwashing and restroom requirements are regulated by the Florida Department of Health and DBPR; temporary events should provide access to restroom facilities through the principal business on the site.

Grandfathering: Commissioners expressed concern about forcing currently permitted vendors out of business. Staff identified 19 mobile vendor records on file; seven of those locations were inside the newly measured 200‑foot restaurant buffer and would have become noncompliant. Commissioners moved to grandfather existing vendors who already have a letter of location compliance on file with the city so they may continue under the new ordinance if they meet the other safety and code requirements.

Public comment and process: A number of mobile‑vendor operators testified about operational realities, catering needs and the importance of being able to stage for private events; staff and commissioners discussed raising the temporary event allowance from 2 hours to 6 hours to accommodate catering set‑ups. Commissioners also asked staff to continue exploring potential dedicated "food‑truck alley" sites (public or private) and to research property availability and zoning for those longer‑term location options.

Outcome: The commission passed the ordinance amendments at second reading with the changes described and directed staff to return with RFPs/site analyses for potential food‑truck venue locations. The changes bring city code into closer compliance with state direction while creating a path for existing vendors to remain in place.