LATHROP – Taco trucks may soon have to move every three hours in Lathrop or run afoul with the law.
Last year, the Lathrop City Council approved an ordinance that established strict rules for mobile food vendors such as taco trucks to operate within the city limits.
The new law required movable-food operators to first obtain a permit from the city, pay the necessary fees and establish their identities so the city knows who they are.
That move was driven by concerns for the safety of residents, especially young children, from individuals who may be operating illegally, or worse, may be on the wrong side of the law.
Somehow, that was not enough, as far as some residents and concerned who complained that these food vendors on wheels should also be required to remain in one place only for a specific length of time.
But after the public hearing on the matter earlier this week, the council decided to postpone a vote on the amendment to the municipal code that would require taco trucks and such to move every three hours. The delay is so staff can conduct a survey on what other cities like Manteca, Ripon or Tracy have done, or are dealing, with the same issue and how effective are the steps that they have undertaken.
The proposed amendment though is baffling to taco truck operator Antonio Munoz who asked the council, “Why do we have to move when we are paying our permits? We pay our taxes. We have private permits. Why should we have to move when we are paying our rent? We’re trying to support our family like everybody else. We’re willing to do what it takes to be able to sell.”
Petronilo Cabrera, another mobile food truck operator, as well as a few others who attended the public hearing at City Hall, echoed Munoz’s arguments. Munoz said he and his family live in Lathrop.
Former council member Steve Dresser, who has declared his mayoral candidacy in the November elections, said he empathized with Munoz and the other mobile-business owners.
“We can’t just badger and push people around… if they are in compliance (of the law). Why do they have to move now? Are they siphoning off (from existing businesses)?” he commented.
He called this issue “a balancing thing” with no easy answer.
“If you tax them too much, taco trucks may leave” and go to another town, he said.
At the same time, he pointed out that “taco trucks are providing a need. I don’t know what the answer is.”
J. Chaka Santos, who is also running for mayor in November, concurred with Dresser as far as taco trucks filling a need in the city.
“I like taco trucks to be there… for the need. But the bottom line is, they are movable restaurants,” he said.
“That’s the reason they are called mobile – they move,” said Council member Christopher Mateo.
Among the concerns brought up by the speakers are the taxes that may or may not be going into the city coffers from the mobile vendors.
“The vendors are out of Stockton. They obviously got to pay their taxes in Stockton,” or Tracy and Manteca where they buy their food and supplies at places like Costco, said Rosalinda Valencia.
“Let’s start issuing permits rather than having Manteca, Stockton or Tracy” benefiting from the tax revenues, she said.
“We need to bring our tax dollars here. We gave tax dollars to Bass Pro, Big League Dreams, and now Red Robin (restaurant)” in Manteca, she added, in reference to those businesses she contended looked at possibly locating in Lathrop first but eventually turned to its neighbor to the east.
Santos agreed with Valencia that Lathrop is losing revenues because the mobile vendors don’t buy their supplies in Lathrop.
“Taco trucks – any hot-food business – all have to buy stuffs in Stockton. Even sodas are taxed, too. There’s a lot of revenue that we don’t get from the taxes,” he said.
Responding to Councilman Sonny Dhaliwal’s question on how much taxes are generated by taco trucks in the city, City Manager Cary Keaten said there are no such statistics available currently.
Under the proposed amendment to the existing ordinance, mobile vendors in residential areas must move every 30 minutes at least 500 feet from their previous location on any given day.
Those operating in commercial areas must move every three hours to a spot no less than 500 feet from their previous location. They also may not return to a prior location or within 500 feet of that previous location on the same day.
In industrial areas, mobile vendors may operate 23 hours a day.
Last year, the Lathrop City Council approved an ordinance that established strict rules for mobile food vendors such as taco trucks to operate within the city limits.
The new law required movable-food operators to first obtain a permit from the city, pay the necessary fees and establish their identities so the city knows who they are.
That move was driven by concerns for the safety of residents, especially young children, from individuals who may be operating illegally, or worse, may be on the wrong side of the law.
Somehow, that was not enough, as far as some residents and concerned who complained that these food vendors on wheels should also be required to remain in one place only for a specific length of time.
But after the public hearing on the matter earlier this week, the council decided to postpone a vote on the amendment to the municipal code that would require taco trucks and such to move every three hours. The delay is so staff can conduct a survey on what other cities like Manteca, Ripon or Tracy have done, or are dealing, with the same issue and how effective are the steps that they have undertaken.
The proposed amendment though is baffling to taco truck operator Antonio Munoz who asked the council, “Why do we have to move when we are paying our permits? We pay our taxes. We have private permits. Why should we have to move when we are paying our rent? We’re trying to support our family like everybody else. We’re willing to do what it takes to be able to sell.”
Petronilo Cabrera, another mobile food truck operator, as well as a few others who attended the public hearing at City Hall, echoed Munoz’s arguments. Munoz said he and his family live in Lathrop.
Former council member Steve Dresser, who has declared his mayoral candidacy in the November elections, said he empathized with Munoz and the other mobile-business owners.
“We can’t just badger and push people around… if they are in compliance (of the law). Why do they have to move now? Are they siphoning off (from existing businesses)?” he commented.
He called this issue “a balancing thing” with no easy answer.
“If you tax them too much, taco trucks may leave” and go to another town, he said.
At the same time, he pointed out that “taco trucks are providing a need. I don’t know what the answer is.”
J. Chaka Santos, who is also running for mayor in November, concurred with Dresser as far as taco trucks filling a need in the city.
“I like taco trucks to be there… for the need. But the bottom line is, they are movable restaurants,” he said.
“That’s the reason they are called mobile – they move,” said Council member Christopher Mateo.
Among the concerns brought up by the speakers are the taxes that may or may not be going into the city coffers from the mobile vendors.
“The vendors are out of Stockton. They obviously got to pay their taxes in Stockton,” or Tracy and Manteca where they buy their food and supplies at places like Costco, said Rosalinda Valencia.
“Let’s start issuing permits rather than having Manteca, Stockton or Tracy” benefiting from the tax revenues, she said.
“We need to bring our tax dollars here. We gave tax dollars to Bass Pro, Big League Dreams, and now Red Robin (restaurant)” in Manteca, she added, in reference to those businesses she contended looked at possibly locating in Lathrop first but eventually turned to its neighbor to the east.
Santos agreed with Valencia that Lathrop is losing revenues because the mobile vendors don’t buy their supplies in Lathrop.
“Taco trucks – any hot-food business – all have to buy stuffs in Stockton. Even sodas are taxed, too. There’s a lot of revenue that we don’t get from the taxes,” he said.
Responding to Councilman Sonny Dhaliwal’s question on how much taxes are generated by taco trucks in the city, City Manager Cary Keaten said there are no such statistics available currently.
Under the proposed amendment to the existing ordinance, mobile vendors in residential areas must move every 30 minutes at least 500 feet from their previous location on any given day.
Those operating in commercial areas must move every three hours to a spot no less than 500 feet from their previous location. They also may not return to a prior location or within 500 feet of that previous location on the same day.
In industrial areas, mobile vendors may operate 23 hours a day.
