PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG) — Changes are coming for food trucks in Pensacola, including where they are allowed to operate.
“I believe that this ordinance is too vague and overbroad to be enforceable,” Councilwoman Sherri Myers said.
The existing ordinance states food trucks must operate in a “duly established marketplace.” That language caused some confusion at Thursday night’s city council meeting.
“To me, duly established marketplace doesn’t even make any sense,” Councilwoman Teniade Broughton said.
Just recently, Eric Pommerening at Two Birds Street Food, said code enforcement officers visited his truck to finally enforce an ordinance that’s been in place for over a decade.
“I’ve talked to a lot of people that have been parked on the streets in the city of Pensacola as well as other food truck owners who’ve not been visited by anybody so it does feel like selective enforcement,” Pommerening said Thursday night to city councilmembers.
After an hour and a half of discussion, the city council started the process to make it legal to park food trucks in any public parking spots in the city except between Garden and Main Street from Baylen to Tarragona Street.
“They need to have the opportunity,” Nomadic Eats Owner Randy Russell said. “It makes our community so much better. I love these trucks. They’re my competition. I’m on private property. I basically act as a brick and mortar but I support them 100 percent.”
The proposed ordinance must first go to the planning board before it can go into effect which will likely be in October.