NLR eases rules on food truck vendors

City Council scraps separate permit fee, special-events-only requirement

Food truck vendors will find it easier to sell their meals in North Little Rock after the City Council agreed Tuesday night to ease requirements for mobile food vendor operations.

The city had received complaints since establishing detailed regulations a year ago for food trucks, with some civic officials saying that food trucks were avoiding North Little Rock because of its rules being more stringent than in surrounding cities.

Among the changes in the revamped regulations, approved 8-0 by aldermen, were removing a requirement that food trucks be allowed only at special events, erasing the separate permit fee, and now allowing food trucks to operate on city and private property with written approval from the city or property owner.

The changes came out of a committee appointed by Mayor Joe Smith in April headed by Alderman Charlie Hight as chairman and Alderman Beth White. Representatives from various city departments, the Argenta Arts Foundation, food truck vendors and the Arkansas Hospitality Association as a representative for restaurant owners were involved in the committee's recommendations.

"Being limited to an event was the big issue from the food truck owners," North Little Rock City Attorney Daniel McFadden said Wednesday about the revamped rules. McFadden worked with the food truck committee and drafted the revised regulations out of the group's recommendations. "It was too burdensome the way it was set up before.

"For the most part, I think it was just trying to make it easier for everybody," McFadden said.

The City Council held a public hearing on the subject at its Tuesday meeting, but no member of the public spoke. Aldermen had heard public comment at meetings last month when original changes to the regulations were submitted before the committee meeting.

Limiting food trucks to only working during special events held on public property had been retained in the earlier version of the legislation -- but was later removed by the committee.

"This made food truck operations a lot easier," Hight said at the council meeting of the revised version.

Vendors are still required to have valid business licenses; North Little Rock Advertising and Promotion permits for restaurant tax collection; current health inspections; valid driver's licenses; and current fire inspections.

"They'll operate like any other business," McFadden said.

Vendors must post written approval from the city's Neighborhood Services office, or as designated the mayor's office, to be on city property, in city right of way and within any residential zoned properties. Operation on commercial properties or school property must be approved in writing by the property owner or manager and the school's governing body.

"That must be on the food truck," Hight said of the written permission letter.

Metro on 05/28/2015

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