City Councilmembers Mo Baydoun (left) and Hassan Saab debate the pros and cons of granting temporary food truck license applications and renewals during the May 28 council meeting.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Times-Herald Newspapers
HEIGHTS – In a 4-3 vote May 28, the City Council approved temporary license applications and renewals for food trunks until a permanent ordinance is established and approved.
The measure had been defeated at the May 21 council meeting.
Councilmembers Hassan Ahmad, Nancy Bryer, Robert Constan and Mo Baydoun approved the resolution, with Denise Malinowski-Maxwell, Hassan Saab and Tom Wencel opposed.
Debate centered on the lack of a comprehensive, permanent food truck ordinance, the advantage that food trucks may have over brick-and-mortar restaurants that pay property taxes, and the difficulty enforcing site conditions, including trash, site safety and zoning issues.
Baydoun said the temporary applications and renewals for Burgeratti, Hanky Panky Donuts, Chicken Cheese, Blazin Hot Wings and Catrina Mia are needed to allow trucks to operate until a thorough ordinance that satisfies the majority of the council members is approved.
Others expressed concerns over used cooking oil being dumped down storm water drains, the lack of customer safety at food truck locations, and the difficulty interpreting and enforcing existing ordinances.
An attorney for Burgeratti, Mohamed Chaytou, expressed his concerns at the beginning of the meeting, during time for comment on agenda items, that the failure of the council to approve a temporary license to operate a food truck is creating a hardship for his client.
He said his client has an inspection report that indicates Burgeratti was not improperly disposing of used cooking oil.
Baydoun said that the May 21 denial was not due to any allegations about Burgeratti’s disposal of cooking oil, and the decision to deny the motion on that date was for all the affected food trucks.
Chaytou said there are other individuals who want to help expand his client’s food truck business, and said the owner of the property upon which Burgeratti operates is in favor of its presence.
He said his food truck client provides a net benefit to the city, and that he hopes to eventually expand into a brick-and-mortar location.
“There is a blueprint here, there is a recipe for success, and undercutting food trucks and their ability to expand and really bring more diversity into the community would be doing a disservice to my client and the community as a whole,” Chaytou said.
Saab said he is not against food trucks, and what he seeks is control. He said some cities designate specific areas for food trucks, and he doesn’t want to allow an unlimited volume of food truck licenses to be granted, either.
He said special event food truck ordinances should be factored into a permanent ordinance, as well.
“There is no direction as to where the city goes,” he said. “”This is not punishing any individual. Other cities are picking designated spots for food trucks so they are not all around the city.”