Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Business And Economy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council OKs ordinance extending food-truck hours, tightening location rules
Summary
Paramount City Council approved Ordinance 11-96 to extend permitted hours for mobile food vendors by one hour and to clarify distance, authorization and definition rules for vending on private property and public roadways.
The Paramount City Council on Feb. 11 adopted Ordinance 11-96 to modify the city’s mobile food vendor rules, extending allowable operating hours and clarifying distance and authorization requirements.
City Planning Director John King presented the ordinance as a follow-up to council direction given at a Dec. 17 meeting. King said the main change extends allowable hours for mobile food vendors on both private property and public roadways by one hour (a 10 p.m. cutoff proposed, up from 9 p.m.). He explained that private-property vending windows would move from five to six hours and public-road windows from four to five hours under the draft ordinance.
King said staff also added clarifications and limits intended to reduce conflicts with brick-and-mortar businesses and sidewalk vendors: cafes, tea shops and bakeries are now included among licensed restaurants that trigger a 500-foot distance requirement from mobile food trucks; private-property vendors must have written authorization from the property owner or legally authorized representative (not merely a business tenant); and the code now specifies a street-block definition and imposes a 100-foot minimum distance between food trucks and sidewalk vendors, intended to preserve pedestrian access.
King noted eight fixed-location permits shown in staff materials and pointed out one new proposed location, La La Barbacoa at 7625 Rosecrans, describing its proximity to a swap meet and Stob Metals. He also said the city notified licensed food-truck operators and that some operators supported the extra hour.
A motion to adopt the ordinance passed on a roll-call vote with Council members Aguayo, Olmos, Craig Stallings, Vice Mayor Lemons and Mayor Delgadillo voting yes (5–0). The ordinance implements the council’s earlier direction to balance the interests of mobile vendors, existing brick-and-mortar restaurants and pedestrian safety.
Staff indicated the changes apply to commercial and manufacturing zones (food trucks remain prohibited in residential areas) and recommended approval. No amendments were made at the Feb. 11 meeting.
