After staff gathers information from other communities across the state, the Mt. Pleasant City Commission will hold a public hearing at its next regular meeting to discuss changes to the ordinances that apply to vendors and food trucks.
Commissioners have scheduled a public hearing at Mt. Pleasant City Hall for Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. to receive input on a proposed amendment to split the city’s ordinance on vendors and temporary food service units, after asking staff in May to update both to ensure they are clear and easy for applicants to understand.
Commissioners discussed the ordinances at a meeting Monday, focusing on what fees the city should charge for background checks, as well as hours and locations of operations and other considerations to ensure the rules are comprehensive and reflect the most current practices across Michigan.
In a memo to City Manager Aaron Desentz, Michelle Sponseller, Mt. Pleasant’s downtown development director, explained that the revised ordinance for temporary food service units will refer to ready-to-eat or immediately consumable food items, while the ordinance for vendors will refer to non-food items or items not intended for immediate consumption.
In May, commissioners asked Sponseller to update the two existing regulations, and she explained the key differences between the versions for temporary catering units and those for mobile catering service providers.
Sponseller said the new ordinance is intended to regulate the temporary provision of food service establishments to stimulate new business, reduce traffic congestion and protect public health and safety.
Temporary food service units include motorized vehicles, mobile trailers, temporary food stations, carts, smokers, grills, freezing or cutting units, and similar equipment for ready-to-eat foods.
Charitable donation stands and informal children’s activities are exempt from the regulation.
The new regulation details application fees, background checks, inspections and reporting requirements, Sponseller said in the memo.
Provisions of the proposed amended ordinance include permitted operating areas and hours, as well as a provision for farmers’ markets and special events that allows them to operate anywhere in the city with the approval of the event organizer.
Another regulation concerns proximity to existing restaurants. It stipulates that restaurants may not operate within 50 metres of a restaurant during opening hours unless the owner gives written permission.
Other components include annual inspections by the Mt. Pleasant Fire Department, no operation within hospital or school right-of-way within 150 feet of the main entrance without written permission, and a requirement that vehicles be no longer than 36 feet and no wider than nine feet.
Temporary catering units must also have waste containers and comply with the city’s noise and lighting regulations.
The most important changes to the vendor regulations include the definitions of the terms “peddler,” “traveling vendor,” and “seller,” as well as new exceptions for stands used to raise charitable donations, special provisions for operations in city parks, and vehicle regulations.
There are also proposed provisions for vendors, including prohibiting the sale of defective, faulty or spoiled items and similar provisions for the temporary operation of food services.
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