At the Sept. 3 meeting of the Los Banos City Council, mobile food vendors came one step closer to codifying their ability to have temporary site furniture, and a food truck park could now be developed.
The council also adopted a policy for disconnecting water services. And equipment and software purchases were approved.
Mayor Micheal Amabile led a quorum of council members Evan Sanders and Marcus Chavez. Mayor Pro-Tem Deborah Lewis had an excused absence, according to Amabile. District 1’s seat remains vacant until the votes from the Aug 26 election are certified on Sept 26.
The mobile food vendor ordinance amendment has been in the works since near the start of the new council’s term. As reported by The Westside Express at the time, Chavez brought up the need to update the ordinance in his April 13 report.
As explained by Community and Economic Development Director Stacy Souza Elms, a stakeholder meeting in May brought up the current issues faced by vendors. Chief among them was the need for some site furniture.
The existing ordinance specifically forbade vendors the right to have them. The new amendment to the ordinance, according to Elms’ report, allows up to 12 chairs, three tables, and two canopies of 120 square feet each. The furniture is temporary and must be removed at the end of operating hours. The location of the furniture must be reviewed in a site plan by the community and economic development director to ensure safety.
The second major part of the ordinance is to allow a food truck park. Also previously prohibited, the new ordinance allows the creation of them in commercial and industrial zoning. The parks must get a conditional use permit, and in that process permanent amenities may be required like restrooms. The park must have an “all-weather surface” that doesn’t rut, displace or create dust. Like asphalt or specially treated gravel.
Sanders asked if the site plan for the furniture would add more time or cost to the approval process. Elms clarified that the site plan approval will get rolled into the annual permitting and conditional use permit process. Amabile asked if special events like farmers markets would need to go through the same process as a food truck park. Elms clarified that special events have their own special ‘carve-out’ already in city law since they are temporary.
This was the first reading of the ordinance, and it passed unanimously. A second reading and adoption of the ordinance is still needed. Amabile praised Chavez for reaching out to vendors.
The council also heard a report from Finance Director Minnie Moreno about a new policy on disconnecting residents from water services. The new policy, according to Moreno, seeks to “balance fiscal responsibility and compassion.” According to her report, the policy as required by state law, prohibits disconnecting people with health conditions, living under 200 percent of the federal poverty level or willing to take on alternative payment arrangements.
Disconnection of water for residents not meeting these requirements can only happen for delinquencies longer than 60 days and have ample notice by the city 10 days prior to shutoff. Customers can appeal to the city finance director and even to the city manager. Late fees can be waived once every 12 months. Chavez asked if that was up to the discretion of the city, Moreno said that it is.
The new policy was adopted unanimously.
Included in the consent agenda was the purchase of a dump truck, two loaders, one backhoe, a generator and a tractor with a triple flail mower for the Public Works and Parks and Recreation Department. According to Interim Public Works Director Joe Heim’s report, most are replacing aging machines that are non-compliant with current regulations. The total cost is $1,245,000 and was already budgeted for in the Public Works Capital Plan.
Another consent agenda item was the purchase of the Procore Project Management Software for a year. Heim’s report elaborated that the software will centralize public works’ projects into a single software. The total cost is $53,177.00
