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Council aims to separate mobile food truck rules from hawkers and peddlers; first reading planned
Summary
Town solicitor and council prepared a first reading to revise the municipal ordinance to distinguish mobile food trucks from hawkers and peddlers and clarify enforcement authority for police.
Glocester town officials said they will present a first reading at an upcoming council meeting to revise the town’s local ordinance governing mobile food trucks so it does not conflate food trucks with hawkers and peddlers.
Town council members and the town solicitor said the current language contains overlapping references—to private roads, town roads and to hawkers and peddlers—that have caused confusion. The solicitor and staff proposed separating the two topics because hawkers and peddlers are handled under a different legal framework than mobile food trucks, which require town permits and, in some cases, state permitting.
Council members discussed vesting enforcement authority with the police department for the mobile food truck ordinance and indicated they intend to circulate a draft for review well before the next meeting. One council member said the first draft would be available by Oct. 16 and asked colleagues to submit comments by email so revisions can be made in advance of the first reading.
Why it matters: the clarification would create separate permitting and enforcement processes for mobile food trucks (a permit program) and for hawkers/peddlers (a different regulatory track), reducing confusion among vendors and enforcement staff.
Next steps: the town solicitor will circulate the draft ordinance to council members ahead of the meeting; a first reading is expected at the next council session and will be followed by a second reading before final adoption.
