South Lake Tahoe mobile vending ordinance modified to ease food truck rules

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Just over a year ago the South Lake Tahoe City Council approved a new mobile vending ordinance after the desire for food trucks was expressed by locals and businesses without kitchens.

Approved in February 2019 was a one-year trial period. As food trucks started to come to the community last summer, the need for some adjustments to the ordinance was recognized. That trial period included the approval of up to six mobile vendor Locations to be permitted when specified criteria are met.

During their meeting Tuesday, City Council passed the updated ordinance.

Mobile vendors who operate in the public right-of-way will register with the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, rather than obtaining a permit, which was previously required. The new ordinance exempts those mobile food facilities and caterers who operate at approved Mobile Vendor Locations from the registration requirement.

Mobile food facility owners and operators would no longer be required to complete a background check. The amendments also remove redundancy and streamline the Mobile Vendor registration process but would continue to require a background check for each mobile food facility operator if they are operating on City right of way.

Parts of the new ordinance with most portions remaining the same:

A. Other than pursuant to a valid temporary activity permit, special event permit, certified farmer’s market permit or mobile vending location permit, it shall be unlawful to vend from a parked mobile vending vehicle except as provided herein.

B. It is unlawful for a person to conduct mobile vending outside the hours between
7:00 a.m. and 2:00 am.

C. Mobile vending within a public right-of-way may occur in any zoning district within the city. The mobile food facility must be at a complete stop and parked in compliance with the California Vehicle Code and this code.

D. It is unlawful for a person to park within a public right-of-way to conduct mobile vending business for more than 15 minutes at any one location.

E. Mobile vending is prohibited on any state highway.

F. It is unlawful for a person to stand, stop, or park a mobile food facility within 500 feet of the property line of any school with students 18 years of age or younger between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on days when school is in session. This provision may be waived with approval of the subject school district or school operator.

G. When operating within the public right-of-way, items vended shall be dispensed from the non-traffic side of the street. It is unlawful for a person to dispense vended items on the traffic side.

H. Mobile food facilities must have current and valid vehicle registration clearly marked on their plates while vending in the public right-of-way.

I. It is unlawful for a person to vend from a mobile food facility within the public right-of-way less than 10 feet from the entrance to the front door of a business, less than four feet from a building, or less than 15 feet from any street corner curb radius.

J. Mobile food facilities operating within the public right-of-way shall comply with all local, state and TRPA regulations regarding noise levels, including the noise ordinance of the city of South Lake Tahoe. In addition, no vendor shall be so loud as to be heard inside the premises of an adjacent building or structure while the entrance door to the premises is closed.

K. It is unlawful for a person to operate a mobile food facility in a manner that blocks or obstructs the free movement of pedestrians or vehicles on any sidewalk, walkway, street, alley or other public right- of-way.

L. Vending of items other than food and non-alcoholic beverages is prohibited.

M. All mobile food facilities shall comply with all applicable laws.

N. The conduct of the vending business shall not create a potential safety issue or obstruction to the normal flow of traffic within a public right-of-way.

O. Any mobile food facility vending within the public right-of-way shall be equipped at all times while engaged in vending with signs mounted on the front and the rear and clearly legible from a distance of 100 feet in daylight conditions incorporating the words “WARNING” and “CHILDREN CROSSING” OR “PEDESTRIANS CROSSING.” Each sign shall be 12 inches high by 48 inches wide, with letters of a dark color and at least four inches in height, a oneinch-wide solid border and sharply contrasting background.

P. The price of products available for sale shall be affixed to the exterior of the mobile food facility in full view of and legible to prospective customers.

Q. All of the above provisions shall be applicable to mobile vendor registrants as well as operators, and it is unlawful for any person to violate any of the provisions of this chapter.

Knowing or repeated violations shall be grounds for suspension or revocation of the mobile vendor registration.