Council scraps second-reading of Lake Placid mobile-vendor ordinance, revokes moratorium; attorney to gather workshop comments

Lake Placid — The Lake Placid Town Council voted on March 10 to strike the second-reading version of Ordinance 2025‑03, the town’s proposed update addressing mobile food vendors, peddlers and temporary solicitors, and to return to the drafting table after soliciting additional feedback from the regional planning council and the public.

What the council did: After public comment and a staff presentation, the council voted to remove the ordinance’s second-reading packet from further consideration and directed the town attorney to obtain and incorporate comments from the Central Florida Regional Planning Council workshop and other stakeholder input. In the same session members also voted to revoke a moratorium the council had imposed on Jan. 13 that affected aspects of mobile vending enforcement.

Why it mattered: Council members and staff said the draft before them did not yet incorporate amendments discussed at an earlier workshop and in public comment, and that proceeding to a second reading in that state would have been premature. The town’s planning consultant advised the council that Florida law and recent statutes constrain how municipalities may regulate mobile food vendors; staff also advised separating food-truck rules from flea-market and peddler rules to avoid regulatory overlap.

Public comment and enforcement implications: Several business owners and vendors testified. Ken LeBlanc, whose Journal Plaza hosts a farmers market, warned that moving trucks into hidden lots would reduce vendor traffic and revenue. The town planning consultant, Dana Riddell, said recent changes in state law give towns some ability to regulate where food trucks may operate on town property but cautioned against blanket prohibitions that would conflict with state rules. Council members expressed concern about liability and about ensuring the final ordinance would not be inconsistent with state law.

Council direction: The council voted to remove the second-reading packet and directed staff and the town attorney to bring a new draft that incorporates the regional planning council’s report, separates flea-market/peddler rules where appropriate, and ensures compliance with Florida statutes affecting mobile vending. The council asked that the process include clearer public notice and the opportunity for additional public input.

Vote record (selected): The motion to revoke the January moratorium (dated Jan. 13) passed in roll call. The later motion to strike the second-reading packet and return to the draft stage was approved by affirmative votes from Council members Charles, Everhart (or Eberhard as recorded), Hayes and Worley; the attorney is to collect workshop comments and return a revised ordinance for the council’s consideration.

Speakers quoted in this story are listed below.