Council hears wide-ranging input on food trucks; staff told to develop ordinance options with business group

The City Council on Jan. 14 revisited whether and how to regulate food trucks in Guadalupe, after a staff report summarized approaches used by neighboring jurisdictions and the limits imposed by state law.

Senior planner Larry (city planning consultant) told the council there are currently no local permits for food trucks beyond a city business license and the Santa Barbara County public health permit; other cities take a variety of approaches, from strict limits to formal temporary-use permit systems. He said the staff report included options modeled on the City of Santa Maria—s Downtown Fridays program and noted state law (SB 946) affects street vending rules.

Public testimony was split. Several local residents and business association members urged the council to permit food trucks with minimal local obstacles to help evening economic life and to support a farmers market and special nights in town. “We keep losing brick-and-mortar restaurants, and we need to bring people to Guadalupe,” said Stephanie Krause. Other speakers — including restaurateurs and long-time business owners — urged controls to protect existing businesses and to require a seller—s permit and business license so sales tax is collected.

Council direction: Council members asked staff to work with the Guadalupe Business Association and develop options that balance economic opportunity and protection of brick-and-mortar restaurants. Several councilmembers suggested a "two-tier" approach: (1) routine/seasonal food-truck nights (for example at the veterans memorial parking lot or tied to a farmers market), and (2) a pilot or permitting process for private-property pop-ups. Staff noted Caltrans-controlled frontage along Highway 1 limits where vendors can operate and said Santa Barbara County restricts health permits to in-county vendors.

Health and tax compliance: Staff and council clarified that trucks must hold Santa Barbara County environmental health permits and that local business licenses are already required for many existing vendors. Several speakers and councilmembers expressed concern about unreported cash sales and asked staff to consider fee structures or vendor-season permits that could recapture revenues for the city and provide an enforcement baseline.

Next steps and timeline: Staff will return with draft ordinance language and potential pilot-program details after further consultation with the Guadalupe Business Association and code enforcement. The council asked staff to identify appropriate public parking or city lots (veterans memorial lot identified as a candidate) and to consider daytime and evening windows and limits on duration per vendor so vendors do not occupy the same spot for long periods.

Ending: Council members favored enabling regulated food-truck nights tied to downtown activation while preserving routes to protect existing restaurants; staff was directed to return with a draft ordinance and an implementation plan developed in coordination with the business association and public-health authorities.