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Wilkes-Barre council holds first reading of food cart and food truck ordinance; hours, distance and enforcement debated
Summary
Wilkes-Barre council held a first reading of an ordinance to add Article 5 to Chapter 11 of the city code, proposing hours, spacing and noise limits for food carts and food trucks and scheduling a final vote for Thursday.
Wilkes-Barre council held a first reading of an ordinance to add Article 5 to Chapter 11 of the city code to regulate food carts and food trucks, with a final vote scheduled for the Thursday voting session.
The draft ordinance sets operating hours at 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., reduces the required distance from a restaurant from 100 feet to 50 feet in several subsections, and includes limits on music and lighting. Council members and staff debated whether the later closing time would create noise and enforcement difficulties in residential areas and whether the downtown should be treated differently from other commercial zones.
Councilwoman McClay, who proposed moving morning hours earlier to allow breakfast service and cited other municipalities’ approaches, said, "we just kind of want to be fair to everyone." She noted that Scranton allows food trucks in downtown areas and that some trucks get busy late when bars close. The council identified the downtown zone in discussion as bounded by River Street, Penn Avenue, North Hampton and Union streets; the ordinance would continue to bar food trucks from residential districts.
Members raised enforcement concerns if violations occur after City Hall hours. A council member noted that enforcement would rely on police when city staff are not available. The draft also addresses repetitive music and laser lights; separate city noise rules remain in force.
City Attorney Tim Henry told the meeting that a revised, final version of the ordinance would be posted on the city's website by 10 a.m. the next day and that the council would take the item up for a vote at the Thursday 6:00 p.m. voting session. He added that paper copies would be available from the city clerk's office for those without computer access.
Next steps: the ordinance returns to the council for a vote Thursday evening; staff indicated the posted draft likely will differ from the work-session text after the discussion.
