Pacific commissioners table food-truck ordinance after fire marshal, hours and alcohol questions
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Summary
Planning and Zoning commissioners deferred action on a proposed ordinance defining and regulating food trucks on private property (proposed additions to section 400.040 and new chapter 402) to obtain fire marshal input and to clarify hours and special-event alcohol rules.
The City of Pacific Planning and Zoning Commission tabled consideration of a text amendment that would add a definition of “food truck” to section 400.040 of the municipal code and establish regulations in new Chapter 402 governing food trucks on private property.
Commissioners identified three issues they wanted clarified before forwarding the ordinance to the Board of Aldermen: the correct hours of operation as written in the draft, whether the city’s fire code requires inspections or annual certificates for mobile food vendors, and how alcohol sales at special events interact with the proposed food-truck rules.
A commissioner noted the draft contained conflicting language about hours — one line read that food trucks “shall not operate between the hours of 6AM and 11PM” and another read that no operator shall “pillow food or drink between the hours of 11:01PM and 05:59AM.” A commissioner said the intent appeared to be that food trucks be allowed to operate between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. and asked staff to correct the ordinance language.
Commissioners also asked staff to consult the city fire marshal about applicable fire-code requirements. Staff said the fire marshal reviews trucks and related equipment during special events and indicated a single-site licensing inspection could be required for routine operation; commissioners asked that that process be spelled out in the ordinance if inspections will be required. Staff and commissioners discussed that special-event permits and temporary open-air vendor licenses already govern alcohol sales and certain temporary vendor setups (for example, beer wagons at rodeos) and would remain separate from the proposed food-truck chapter.
After discussion, Commissioner Weimer moved to table the text amendment pending consultation with the fire marshal; Commissioner Goodman seconded. The motion to table carried and the item was deferred to a future meeting for further edits and review.