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Council sends mobile food vending ordinance back to staff after lengthy debate over distances, definitions and overlay district
Summary
Council debated a revised mobile food vending ordinance that would define canteen trucks vs. mobile food vehicles, set distance buffers from brick‑and‑mortar restaurants and create a possible overlay 'food truck' district. After extended exchanges, council asked staff to return with a revised draft reflecting a 200-foot separation option and clearer definitions.
The East Ridge City Council on Oct. 9 spent more than an hour debating a proposed update to the city’s mobile food vending ordinance before directing staff to re-draft key sections.
Mister Howell, who presented the revision, said the draft aimed to "streamline the regulations to enhance consistency and safety and efficiency," and explained the proposal initially included a 500-foot minimum distance from other food vending or restaurants. Staff’s packet included a highlighted revision and definitions distinguishing a canteen truck (preprepared food with on-site point‑of‑sale) from a mobile food vehicle (where food is prepared or assembled on site).
Council members focused on several practical questions: whether on-site caterers who bring prepared food but do not accept money would be regulated as canteen trucks, how to measure the proposed separation (property line vs. front door), and how to allow designated truck areas such as an overlay along Old Ringgold Road. Vice Mayor Tyler and other council members expressed concern that a 500‑foot buffer would be too large given the density of restaurants in commercial corridors. "The 500 feet is really far and 200 is better," Vice Mayor Tyler said during the discussion, and multiple members signaled support for 200 feet as a starting point.
Council also discussed event caps and permit length: staff said a special-event permit could limit the number of food vendors at a single property to no more than four per year, and that permits would be required for anyone selling food as a canteen or mobile food vendor. Council members asked staff to consider wording so that routine catering (dropping off prepared food for employees or teams) would not be unintentionally captured by the ordinance.
The council did not vote to adopt the ordinance tonight. Instead staff were directed to revise the draft to: 1) clarify the definitions separating canteen trucks, mobile food vehicles and catering operations; 2) incorporate a 200-foot distance option from brick-and-mortar restaurants (measured from property line/corner of the store as discussed); and 3) produce overlay-district language for areas such as Old Ringgold Road where concentrated food-truck activity would be allowed. Planning and code enforcement staff will return the revised ordinance to council for further consideration.
