New mobile vending ordinance for South Lake Tahoe before City Council Tuesday

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Food trucks will soon be a part of the South Lake Tahoe culture if a new ordinance is approved during the City Council meeting on Tuesday, January 15, 2019.

After many public meetings and the recent approval by the Planning Commission, the new ordinance would streamline the existing mobile vendor permitting procedures and
allow limited mobile vending at up to six private commercial locations in the city.

If approved, the new ordinance is intended as a pilot program to enable the City to gauge the impacts associated with mobile vendors on the community and existing
brick and mortar businesses.

Permits would be required for both the commercial location and the mobile vendor, and the six locations would be permitted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Mobile vendors would be limited to food only, and would be required to meet various health, safety, and land use compatibility requirements.

Significant requirements include:

Set up in areas zoned for “eating and drinking places” only
A maximum of three vendors per permitted commercial location
A 200 ft. separation from existing brick and mortar restaurants (unless permission is granted by the brick and mortar restaurant)
Permitted operating hours between 7:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m.
A maximum duration of six hours for a mobile vendor to set up in a permitted commercial location.

The current code allows mobile vendors to operate on City streets but limits the amount of time at any one location to 15 minutes, and allows them to be a permitted special events on a temporary basis. At this time there are two mobile vendors, both ice cream trucks, permitted by the City.

Taken off of the ordinance was the previously suggestion component requiring all mobile vendors to have a commissory which could be inspected and where food and supplies would be stored.

If the Council approves the new ordinance on Tuesday, a second reading would be held on February 5 with March 5, 2019 as the date it would go into effect. The Council meeting starts at 9:00 a.m. at the Lake Tahoe Airport.