The Buda City Council reviewed city, county and state regulations for mobile and portable food vendors, commonly known as food trucks, during its Feb. 4 meeting.
Buda currently has 15 mobile food vendor permits, with most food trucks operating on Main Street or in downtown Buda, including a mix of pending, active and inactive permits, according to a city presentation. The city also has two designated food truck parks, permitted through the special-use permit process.
The discussion
Council members explored ways to improve and streamline the permitting process, balancing support for new mobile food vendors with the need for clear regulations.
Council member Evan Ture specifically addressed the requirement for commercial-grade fire suppression systems in many food trucks, suggesting that the regulation may be excessive. He noted that some residents have shared costly quotes for fire suppression systems, including one estimate of $18,000.
“I tend to think we’re overregulating mobile food vendors; that’s my personal perception as we reorient this,” Ture said.
Concerns also arose about potential conflicts between city, county and state permitting requirements.
The overview
In addition to Buda’s regulations, Hays County requires food trucks and other mobile vendors to obtain a Hays County Food Establishment Permit. This permit must be properly displayed, is renewed annually and expires Dec. 31.
Buda’s mobile food vendor regulations were established through a 2014 ordinance covering provisions for food trucks and temporary food events. The city operates a quarterly permit process that includes requirements for commissary access, utilities, location, hours of operation and signage.
City officials also discussed regulations for mobile retail and service vendors, which are considered distinct from mobile food vendors.
What’s next?
After gathering council input on current mobile food, retail and service vendor regulations, the city plans to review best practices from other cities, seek stakeholder input and draft an ordinance for council consideration in July.
