City officials are looking to amend Jamestown’s food truck ordinance – but don’t expect the issue to be nearly as contentious as it was a few years ago.

A draft of the ordinance was presented during last week’s City Council meeting to members of the Public Safety Committee and then was discussed during the full council work session.

“I know it was a little bit of contention a few years ago about food trucks, but I firmly believe that we can all act harmoniously and it can turn out to be a good thing for everyone,” said Councilman Jeff Russell, R-At Large and Public Safety Committee chairman.

A city Development Department staff memo said the city is seeing more interest in food trucks this year, which prompted the department to seek approval of formal food truck rules. Crystal Surdyk, city development director, said she will email council members with hopes of getting the ordinance approved at the council’s July voting session, though approval could be pushed back to August.

“We’ve received, I would say, a record, for us anyway, number of food truck applications and we have also heard from the county Health Department that they have as well, so the trend may finally be hitting Jamestown,” Surdyk said.

The city launched a food truck pilot program in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there were few food trucks early on in the process despite the controversy over the program. Downtown restaurant owners fought the food truck pilot because they viewed the trucks as unfair competition. The city’s pilot program required food trucks to be located 125 feet from a brick and mortar restaurant, unless the operator of a food truck also owns a brick and mortar restaurant. There is no such restriction in the permanent program proposed by the city now.

“We had some growing pains, but I think we worked through them,” Surdyk said.

The cost during the food truck pilot program was $150 for a yearly permit for Jamestown-based business owners, $300 if the business is not based in Jamestown and $100 for a one-day permit. There is no fee yet included in the draft ordinance.

Food trucks, under the new proposal, would be allowed as long as they are more than 20 feet from an intersection and not violate city parking rules. Food trucks on private property would be limited to areas zoned industrial, commercial or institutional, though trucks could be allowed in residential areas if they have been invited by the property’s resident to serve food to the resident or guests.

Food trucks will be required to provide a garbage can for customers and pick up and remove all garbage from within 25 feet of the food truck’s location before it leaves. The ordinance presented to the council last week requires a county Health Department permit as well as the city permit.

There is also no discussion of non-profit food trucks that are giving food away like Conduit Ministries’ food truck that has often been seen in Brooklyn Square on weekends.

“One of the amendments that we are looking at is adding some language for mobile food trucks that are not necessarily vendors but serving food at no charge,” Surdyk said. “And so adding some guidance around that because that was something that’s kind of new and we did not address it.”