Council debates mobile food-vendor rules but declines final passage of amended ordinance 25-54

Tiffin City Council considered multiple amendments to amended ordinance 25-54, a change to Chapter 7.23 of the codified ordinances governing mobile food vendors, during its Aug. 4 meeting but did not adopt the ordinance. The measure would have set a $25-per-week location fee for vendors on city property, required mobile vendors to stay at least 100 feet from the main entrance of a brick-and-mortar restaurant unless the property owner granted permission, shortened an inactivity threshold from three days to 24 hours, and set an effective date of April 1, 2026. Council member Hayes moved the package of changes and said the intent was that vendors "tear down and move at the end of each day," with a limited 24-hour exception for short pauses in operation. Why it matters: The council spent months discussing mobile-vendor rules in committee and in public sessions; the changes would have altered where and how often food trucks may operate in downtown and other city lots and would have created new enforcement triggers and fee structures. Council debate focused on enforcement, effects on brick-and-mortar restaurants and homegrown vendors, and the appropriate fee structure. Council member Becker proposed replacing a weekly $25 location fee with a $100 annual license and removing the weekly fee, calling it a compromise that would "put the burden on people who are more local business owners than food trucks coming in from outside." That amendment (to impose a $100 annual license and remove the $25 weekly fee) passed on a 6-0 vote. Several council members urged more time to refine language. Council member Thacker said he expected to propose further changes, and others said they preferred allowing the revisions to "marinate" for additional public feedback before final passage. Formal actions and outcome: Council adopted two amendments during the session—one to the permit terms proposed by Council member Hayes (passed 5-1) and a subsequent fee-structure amendment by Council member Becker (passed 6-0). A motion to require mobile vendors to file with the city income-tax department received no second and died. A final motion to pass the amended ordinance failed on the council's roll call vote (two in favor, four opposed), so the ordinance was not adopted and the city's existing mobile-vendor rules remain in effect. What comes next: Council president assigned the matter to the Economic Development and Downtown Planning Committee for further review and public input. Council members said the fire chief and law director may still request narrower updates to reflect state fire-code concerns. "You are using a public spot that's different than what normally a person might use," the law director said during related discussion about administration and enforcement of parking and permits. Additional context: The Long Community Planning Committee had recommended amendments to ordinance 25-54 following a July 28 meeting that included local businesses, vendors and public safety staff. The proposed effective date of April 1, 2026, was intended to align with the current permit cycle. (Ending) The council did not adopt ordinance 25-54; committee review and additional public outreach were scheduled before the issue returns to the full council.