Port Angeles council hears first reading of mobile and itinerant vendor code; council continues item to Feb. 4

Port Angeles city staff presented an update to the municipal code aimed at creating a streamlined permitting process for mobile and itinerant vendors, including food trucks, and council conducted a first reading of the ordinance and continued the item to the Feb. 4 meeting for further refinement.

The proposed Municipal Code Update 24-74 would define mobile vendors and establish two permitting tracks: (1) a vendor permit for the operator and (2) hosting/site permits for property owners who host vendors. The draft removes the current conditional-use process for mobile vendors and instead sets a Type 1 (expedited) review for single vendors and minor site plans and a Type 2 review with public notice for multiple-unit or residential hosting. The code also references county health department and Labor & Industries (LNI) approvals where applicable and lists proposed fees (annual vendor permit $190; single-unit hosting $285; hosting of multiple units $380). Staff noted a March 1 target effective date if adopted.

Planning staff said the draft follows months of public outreach, including Planning Commission hearings, listening sessions and a December public hearing that resulted in a recommendation of approval. Chloe Bonson, associate planner, explained the rationale, explained restroom and water-access requirements for food vendors as tied to county health standards and LNI, and said lemonade stands would be exempt from the permitting scheme.

Council members asked clarifying questions about scope and practical impacts: whether the rule would apply to indoor vendor tables at events (staff said vendors that move between locations generally fit the ordinance but clarified that hosted, indoor event tables at preapproved events may be treated differently), how restroom requirements would be applied (temporary restroom structures acceptable if maintained per health requirements), whether hand-drawn site plans would be accepted (staff said yes), and whether nonprofit free-meal operations would be assessed fees (staff said nonprofits operating fewer than specified days are treated as parking-lot activities and that staff would return with fee-exemption language options).

Several council members suggested small edits and asked staff to return with amendments on Feb. 4: consider fee adjustments for short-duration or low-revenue vendors, explicitly allow hand-drawn site plans, clarify how public restrooms proximate to a site might qualify, and consider fee relief for small sellers or nonprofits (one council member proposed aligning permit fees with the city business-license tiers so low-revenue sellers would pay $0). Staff said they would bring potential amendments back at the continued hearing.

The ordinance language, as presented, would allow vendors to operate citywide (including rights-of-way) once a vendor permit is issued, while hosting approvals vary by zone and number of units. Staff compared the proposal to Sequim and Port Townsend and noted the Port Angeles fees are generally lower. Mayor Kate Dexter closed the item by confirming the first reading and that the council would revisit the ordinance on Feb. 4 for possible staff amendments and final action.

The council did not adopt the ordinance on final passage; the item was continued to the Feb. 4 meeting for more review and minor changes.