Idaho Springs o cials hope for stronger regulation of food trucks in the city

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BY DEBORAH SWEARINGEN SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Idaho Springs will begin to consider a package of code updates to better regulate food trucks in the city.

In a June 12 work study session, Idaho Springs City Council unanimously agreed that sta should proceed with the project, which is largely driven by a higher-than-usual number of food truck applications and “loopholes” in the city code that create unintended outcomes, according to city sta .

“ ere really aren’t any speci c regulations on food trucks in particular,” Deputy City Clerk Wonder Martell said in the June 12 meeting. “It’s more on solicitors and vendors.”

At times, this has led to questions sta members cannot answer or problems they cannot rectify.

Ahead of the June 12 meeting, Martell said she researched the way other municipalities handle the matter, which includes regulating everything from signage and noise to a food truck’s ability to hook up to public utilities.

One big challenge the city sta are currently facing is that a business license is not always needed to operate a food truck in Idaho Springs.

“If you’re a nonpro t, you don’t have to have a business license or a vendor’s license, which means you don’t have a health inspection,” Jonathan Cain, who is serving as the interim community development planner, said in the meeting. While the downtown area has a prohibition on food trucks, Cain said they’re often put on private property. is is generally ne but can pose problems if the property is used for another business where the city’s planning department has dictated speci c parking and site layout requirements.

City Council member Kate Collier noted that the topic was considered during her time serving on the Planning Commission. ough nothing o cial was approved, Collier said the commission members agreed “(food trucks) should never be in competition with any existing business.”

Ultimately, while Idaho Springs planning sta hopes to bring forth a package of code updates to better regulate food trucks operating in the city, the City Council and sta want to ensure they can continue to conduct business.

Cain said they regularly hear from residents about how much they enjoy having access to food trucks.