A private event at the Florida Theatre meant a business opportunity for Alex Montanez.
The operator of the Gourmet Aviator food truck said he was one of several vendors hired for an event, but he wasn’t around long — he was forced to leave after his mobile business was deemed too close to a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
It meant he left with a truck full of food, not revenue.
Montanez relayed the story Wednesday to members of a committee that made changes to draft legislation created by City Council member Reggie Brown to regulate food trucks. Brown’s first offering included further setbacks from existing restaurants and residential areas, narrower operating windows and tighter permitting requirements.
Brown said he wanted people who would be affected by the regulations to review the ordinance line-by-line to talk about what works, what doesn’t and come up with something “everyone can live with.”
Food truck language isn’t specifically covered in city code and zoning was “silent” when it came to the vendors, a city attorney said. And a report from a Jacksonville Beach planner, Brown said, “gave the city of Jacksonville a black eye” when the review said legislation was “not clear” and enforcement was “erratic.”
About a dozen food truck owners and enthusiasts showed up to provide their opinion of Brown’s draft and after about two and a half hours, some parts were changed.
Operating hours first determined to be 6 a.m.-midnight were extended until 3 a.m. to allow the food trucks to cater to late-night crowds. Language not allowing them within 500 feet of a residential dwelling — which would have killed catering events — was stricken altogether, as was the idea that the vendors would be required to have specific location permits. Water and electricity requirements also will use state standards instead of being specifically detailed within local law.
The part about how close the vendors can be to brick-and-mortar restaurants drew more spirited debate, with one person saying the city shouldn’t deal with the competitive nature of the businesses.
That issue is still outstanding and Brown is seeking input heading up to the next meeting March 24, where he said he wants to hear from brick-and-mortar business owners, none of whom attended Wednesday.
Brown said he wanted the Downtown Investment Authority to decide how food trucks are regulated in the urban core. CEO Aundra Wallace told the crowd the authority’s board is working on a redevelopment plan and is looking at best practices for the vendors in the area.
“We have got to have a balancing act,” he said.
As for the city as a whole, there have not been an overwhelming number of complaints to the city, but regulations with city code “is certainly is an area that needs to be cleaned up,” said Mel Cook, city regulatory compliance coordinator. “The city always wants to work with them and we want to encourage these businesses,” Cook said.
Jennifer Kline, owner of the Up In Smoke BBQ food truck, was one of the more active participants in the discussion and said she came away from the meeting feeling “a little more relieved” than when the draft was first revealed.
Now, she said, she’d like to see a map or list from the city about areas where food trucks can set up their business, an item city officials said they will review.
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