September 29, 2022 |
Saratoga is considering permitting food trucks.
The topic of food trucks was revisited during the September 20th Saratoga Town Council meeting. The town is deciding whether to require “mobile vendors” to obtain a permit to operate in Saratoga.
Last month, Executive Director of the Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce Amanda Knotwell brought the subject up to the council.
The council said they would look into the matter.
There was some confusion during the September 6th council meeting about who was being considered for permitting. Dee Dee Martz, a vendor at the Saratoga Farmer’s Market, thought she would need permission from the town to sell her jams.
Councilman Jon Nelson said the town hasn’t decided to permit anyone, let alone the farmer’s market. Nelson was appreciative for the public input.
Pictured above: File photo of food truck.
At the September 20th town council meeting, Councilman Nelson said the Wyoming Food Freedom Act protects the vendors at the farmer’s market. The law was written to allow people who produce items, such as jams and hot sauces, to sell their wares at farmer’s markets and other locations.
The issue on hand is whether the Town of Saratoga should require food trucks to have a permit before conducting business.
Nelson looked at other town’s ordinances to get an idea of how Saratoga could handle things. He specifically cited Laramie’s statutes and their fee structure. A season long permit is $75 while 72-hours is $25. Nelson said that the idea of permitting food trucks isn’t a way to generate income for the town.
Not everyone thinks that permitting food trucks is necessary. McCall Burau, a member of the Saratoga Planning and Zoning Commission, said that food trucks are already permitted by the county.
Burau is co-owner of a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Saratoga that also runs a food truck.
The Wing and Burger Box is a food truck that does business in Saratoga, outside of the Family Dollar on First Street. They donate money to the Saratoga school system to pay for student lunches.
There has been no decision about permitting. Councilman Nelson made it clear that he was merely researching the idea and would like more comments from the public. The council will discuss the matter further at their next meeting, on October 3rd.
