ROGERS -- The City Council approved a law tailored to food trucks and other mobile food vendors Tuesday.
Chris Griffin, staff attorney, said city ordinance didn't address how mobile vendors operate in the city.
Food trucks have been operating through temporary trailer permits, Griffin said. The permits are typically used for trailers found at construction sites.
"That is what we have been using because there wasn't anything else," Griffin said. "The permits aren't designed for this type of business."
Derrel Smith, city planner, said food trucks are a new concept for the city. He said only seasonal vendors have been approved in the past. This included snow cone stands, he said.
Long-term vendors started seeking permission to operate in the city recently, Smith said. He said the city received four requests for food trucks this year.
The ordinance requires mobile vendors to receive approval for a vending permit from the Planning Department. Vendors operating on city property must be approved by the Transportation Department before receiving a permit.
It also requires a $50 permit fee for six months and $100 permit fee for a year. The costs were the same for the temporary trailer permits previously used.
Brad Vandris has been running Pop's Hog Wild BBQ food truck in the city since April. The truck is on private property at 318 W. Walnut St.
The ordinance will make an approval process smoother for the business in the future, Vandris said. He said previously vendors had to go before the Planning Commission and be approved every six months.
"The annual approval process helps," Vandris said. "It is hard to operate a business with a six-month outlook."
Approval from the Planning Department instead of the Planning Commission also makes things easier, Vandris said. The commission meets twice a month. This could lengthen the time it takes to get approved.
Vandris said the law spells out what's required of vendors. He said it makes it easier for vendors to know how to prepare for permit requests.
Robin Owens also said she thinks the ordinance could make it easier to operate her seasonal food truck. She recently purchased The Frozen Coconut and plans to expand it to other locations.
Another portion of the ordinance outlines where food trucks can be located. For example, food trucks will not be allowed on city property downtown, Griffin said. He said only food carts will be allowed. Food trucks can operate downtown on private property, he said.
Owens said the downtown portion of the law shouldn't be a problem for her business. She said there's limited space for food trucks to operate in that area.
"If they want to build up the downtown they will need to be flexible with that in the future," Owens said. "Cities like Austin [Texas] allow this and it is really cool and nice."
Griffin said the ordinance can always be changed.
"Real world applications will always find weak spots," Griffin said. "We will adjust it as they come up."
NW News on 10/28/2015