MASSENA — Massena village trustees will take public comments at 5:30 pm Nov. 15 on state-mandated changes to the local law governing mobile food vendors and food trucks.
The state is enacting new regulations for food preparation vehicles, and municipalities have until Dec. 30 to come up with local language addressing required inspections and paperwork.
“For some reason, we’re seeing an explosion of these things all over the place,” Code Enforcement Officer Aaron T. Hardy told trustees.
Deputy Mayor Matthew J. LeBire said revising the local law was not something the village decided to do on its own.
“This was initiated by state requirements,” he said.
“This is kind of the state’s going to force our hand and add it to our code. It’s there and we have to do it,” Mr. Hardy said.
He said Village Administrator Monique N. Chatland had found a way “to slide it into the code book so it makes sense.”
“I think she’s done a really good job finding a location for it. It looks pretty tidy. I think it’s basic enough,” he said.
Mr. Hardy said it’s a work in progress.
“It’s not perfect by any means at the state level. There’s been some issues and they’ve had to clarify a few things,” he said. “We can kind of play with it. If we need to add more, we can add more down the road.”
One of the requirements is the addition of a permitting process. Food preparation vehicles will be required to have an operating permit anywhere in the state.
Under the proposed local law, a mobile food vendor is defined as “any person, either principal or agent, who from any fixed location, by use of a temporary or movable structure, or a motor vehicle of any kind, sells or barters, offers to sell or barter to the public, or exposes for sale food products. This shall include, but not be limited to, hot dog sales, snow cone or ice cream sales, funnel cake or fried dough sales, produce sales and other similar sales.”
Any mobile food vendor in the village must have a license issued by the village. They’ll be required to provide the requested date, hours of operation and proposed location of the vehicle; proof of consent of the property owner if it’s on private property; the necessary certifications and approvals from the St. Lawrence County Public Health Department; and any other information required by the village board. The village board will be the approving authority for the license.
A license fee of $250 per year or $25 per day will be levied on each mobile food vendor, stand, booth, wagon, car “or other device so erected or used.”
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