Long Beach staff proposes unified food-truck ordinance; council asks for enforcement, pilot hubs

Long Beach city staff on Tuesday presented a consolidated draft of rules for mobile food facilities — including food trucks, trailers and specialty vehicles — and asked the City Council for direction before staff returns with a formal ordinance for Planning Commission review.

The proposed rules would require mobile food facilities to obtain a Long Beach business license and a city health permit (ending current reliance on Los Angeles County health permits for some operators), set time/place/manner safety limits tied to pedestrian access and fire/traffic infrastructure, and establish an optional park parking lot pilot and other “encouraged areas” for food-truck rallies.

Why it matters: Staff framed the package as a way to reduce inconsistent enforcement, protect public safety and ADA access, and create legal, city-led pathways for vendors to operate in high-foot-traffic areas such as Shoreline and the Pike. Councilmembers and neighborhood speakers said the proposal could help operators who follow rules while giving the city tools to address repeat violators and impacts on residents and brick-and-mortar businesses.

Staff presentation and key proposals

“Tonight, we will be reviewing recommendations for a proposed food truck ordinance,” said Grace Yoon, deputy city manager, opening the staff presentation. City staff said the report stems from a code review, community outreach and legal constraints: “state law is clear that we cannot restrict food trucks based solely on economic competition,” staff said, and any location restrictions must be “tied to objective health, safety and access concerns.”

Major elements presented include: - Licensing and permits: Mobile food facilities (MFFs) would be required to hold a Long Beach business license and a city health permit rather than relying on some operators’ LA County permits. Staff provided current fee references: a business license fee of about $597 and upcoming health permit fees ranging from roughly $4.96 to $1,051 (as presented). - Insurance and indemnity: Operators would need commercial general liability insurance with additional-insured endorsements, workers’ compensation when required, and commercial auto liability. - Public right-of-way rules: Vendors may use street parking (defined as city-maintained rights-of-way intended for vehicular traffic) with limits: vendors may operate using up to two marked parking spaces (no more than two angled spots per operation), must pay meters, and — as a potential incentive — be allowed to extend metered parking up to twice the posted duration (maximum of four hours) when fees are paid. - Pedestrian and traffic safety: A minimum unobstructed pedestrian path of five feet (eight feet in very high-volume zones) is required; vendors must not block ADA ramps, crosswalks, fire hydrants, bus zones, or emergency access. Operations would be prohibited in certain locations (e.g., within specified buffer distances from concessionaires with signed city agreements and within event perimeters) and overnight parking on public streets between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. would be banned. - Operating hours: Nonresidential blocks 7 a.m.–10 p.m.; residential blocks 9 a.m.–8 p.m.; within one block of a school, operations would be disallowed Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–5 p.m. Park-pilot hours would follow park operating hours, no later than 10 p.m. - Park parking pilot and encouraged areas: Staff proposed a one-year pilot allowing up to two operators at marked spaces in selected park parking lots on a first-come, first-served basis. Staff noted Los Cerritos Park was removed from the initial list and that Granada Beach parking spaces would require California Coastal Commission review before designation. Shoreline Aquatic Park surface lot (Golden Shore) was highlighted as a viable location if rules and parking fees are followed. - Private property: Staff proposed an administrative land-use review (ALER) pathway and a new “occasional event permit” (OEP) for certain non-entertainment events on private property to allow food-truck operations with property-owner consent. - Sanitation and spills: Operators would be required to collect and remove all trash they generate, provide a marked customer receptacle, and not discharge grease, rinse water or ashes into streets or drains; staff said the city may require cleanup and can fine or recover costs for spills. - Sound and signage: Amplified sound would generally be prohibited (ice cream trucks allowed music only while moving, not when stationary); lighting must be limited to food prep/menu illumination and shielded on private property. - Enforcement and penalties: The business license division would lead program enforcement (instead of a right-of-way permit under Public Works). The business license and health divisions may issue notices of violation, administrative citations and, where applicable, misdemeanor citations, and may suspend or revoke permits. Staff described an escalating administrative citation approach (example tiers discussed in the meeting) and described coordination with the city prosecutor for escalated cases.

Public comment and examples of impacts

Lourdes Dixon, a restaurant owner whose business is on Aquarium Way near the Pike, described weekend and ongoing impacts: “They are parking in the 30 minute loading and unloading zone,” she said, and told the council food trucks have occupied loading/red zones and private parking for months, leaving little room for restaurant customers and vendors’ private cars.

Council questions and concerns

Councilmembers uniformly praised staff’s outreach and pushed strongly on enforcement, reporting and tracking. Councilmember Zendejas said staff’s work was “very thoughtful” and encouraged incentives and waterfront protections; Councilmember Allen urged designated areas and noted Shoreline had “gotten out of control” since COVID. Councilmember Saro asked about demographic breakdowns in the 2,000+ survey responses; staff said district-level respondent counts were available but the survey’s demographic fields could not be tied to specific question responses.

Councilmembers repeatedly raised enforcement and operational questions: who will respond to late-evening or weekend problems; how will staff track education and compliance; and how will the city handle overlap with the sidewalk-vending law? Staff responded that the business license division will add two inspectors and transfer the “food truck coordinator” to a renamed mobile business coordinator, and that the FY26 budget includes those positions; staff said the program expects roughly 20 hours per week of field enforcement dedicated to mobile business compliance once fully staffed. Staff also said food trucks present stronger enforcement opportunities than sidewalk vending because vehicle registration and business addresses are known, allowing escalation and collections that are more difficult with unidentified sidewalk vendors.

Next steps and council action

City staff asked for feedback and direction, not final ordinance adoption. Councilmembers provided a mix of policy suggestions (park pilots, Ocean Boulevard pilot areas, stronger enforcement language) and asked staff to come back with a draft ordinance and an implementation plan and outreach materials.

The council took a receiving action on item 24: staff’s report and recommendation to proceed with drafting an ordinance were accepted and staff was directed to return with a draft for Planning Commission review and a subsequent council hearing.

What happens next

Staff will draft the ordinance based on council direction, conduct further community engagement and set up a dedicated web page and streamlined permitting processes to help county-permitted operators convert to city health permits. Staff also plans operational tools (maps, outreach materials) and to begin piloting park parking spots subject to Coastal Commission approvals where required.

Ending

Councilmembers said they want both clearer opportunities for compliant vendors and stronger enforcement against repeat or unsafe violations; staff said added licensing, inspection and prosecutorial tools should allow the city to escalate sanctions more effectively than under prior practice.