Food trucks heat up spicy dialogue

The ordinance would establish a city licensing process for vendors who sell food out of trucks or trailers, times when they would be allowed to operate and establish zones where those trucks and trailers would be allowed. So far, vendors would have to have a license through the departments of health or agriculture to operate a food truck or trailer, undergo background investigations, meet local fire codes and have a yearly inspection, and follow Elk River’s signage regulations. The ordinance would not affect city-permitted special events or events held on private property.

But the ordinance isn’t done. City staff are still looking for feedback from business owners. City clerk Tina Allard said residents asked about food truck regulations through a citywide survey done through social media earlier this year. City staff have surveyed local restaurant owners and found that they have concerns about traffic, parking, competition and trash. The city also had two City Council work sessions that have dealt with the idea.

Allard said the council will address the issue again in February.

Discussion over food truck and trailer regulations began late last year, when the council held the first discussion about the issue at its Nov. 20 work session. The council asked city staff to survey downtown businesses, and of the eight that were contacted, six responded. Most of them do not support the idea.

The city has also posed the question on social media and received mixed results from those who responded – some residents are excited about the idea and think street food vendors will help downtown and be a convenient way to eat, and others feel it will detract from downtown because vendors can park wherever they like or because they don’t pay local taxes.

The discussion Tuesday night mainly dealt with where those vendors would be allowed to operate.

Mayor John Dietz called for the council to ask city staff to refine the draft ordinance, give owners notice of it and have more council discussions about the issue.

Representatives of two local restaurants — McCoy’s Irish Pub and Daddy-O’s Cafe — repeated many of the concerns that the business owners expressed in the city surveys.

David Gess, owner of Gess What’s Cookin, which operates food trucks and trailers, said he isn’t looking to compete, but is looking to add to the downtown food scene. He acknowledged other operators might not behave the same way.

Council Member Jennifer Wagner said Tuesday that she thought the conversation at the work session was about two things: downtown concerts and parking. She mentioned that more spaces could be opened up if employees would use the employee parking spaces. She also felt that the discussion was “concentrating too much on downtown.” She felt that the ordinance could provide a great fundraising opportunity for youth sports organizations during tournaments.

Council Member Matt Westgaard suggested changing the language in the draft to exclude downtown areas because of congestion and because the events already being held there “were to promote downtown” and not to have “a carnival.”