Ban them! The exhaust from these trucks is hazardous to our health!

Why will the city do nothing about brick and mortar restaurants "stepping on the toes" of food trucks?

It is illegal for a municipality to override the State Vehicle Code, which says that in California a municipality may ONLY regular food trucks for purposes of public health and safety. Given that:

a) the trucks burn propane to cook with, and their exhaust is carbon dioxide and water, which unfortunately the other commenter here doesn't realize; and

b) county health inspectors say the kitchens at these usually owner-operated businesses are cleaner for the most part than restaurants (because they are cleaned out every night at licensed and inspected commissaries); and

c) they pay license fees, taxes, permit fees, enhanced VLF and other monies to the city, county and state,

I think that maybe the city council should try to enhance these small entrepreneurs, rather than choke them.

I bet it's the restaurant owners complaining. People just want to
Eat!!

mmmmm. 5 speed breakfast burrito

These trucks are a great way to have alternative food options and increase variety. Got hooked in Portland (where they are embraced) and wish they were handled the same way here.

Nothing wrong if our restaurants face a little healthy competition from the food trucks. As a customer, I'm happy when restaurants which aren't good enough to survive get replaced by a better restaurant.

I think it would be nice for all to see in print what the 56 year old regulation is before we start messing with it.

The only problem the City Council has with the mobile vendors is money.

The restuarants have to pay a fee to the city for a permit to sell food.

Just picture the city council holding out their hands looking for money. I guarantee the changes to this law will require these vendors to pull out their wallets and pay up.

It's not about anything else no matter what they say.

I absolutely love the gourmet food trucks that come every week to Edgewood Plaza in Palo Alto; I make a pilgrimage from Mountain View(if you can call it that) on a weekly basis to get in on all the delectable goodies.

Food options in my part of town are limited (Mickie D's at WalMart? I don't think so); it'd be great if we could have a weekly food truck event here. Target parking lot? I'd be down for that.

@Otto Maddux:

The trucks pay city and county for permits; they pay county health for inspections; they pay enhanced VLF for vending vehicles, and they pay for the required commissary as well (they are required by local regulation to be in commissaries overnight, where they must be completely cleaned out). The commissary, too, pays the county and state for license and permit fees, and also covers the cost of their inspections by the county.

Next time do a bit of research, please. Several local restaurateurs have very proudly told the world that they are responsible for the city's recent and proposed crackdown on mobile vendors ... I would be inclined to trust them, even if I think what they're doing is dirty and unethical.

Any Mtn. View restaurant owners care to comment on their overhead costs?

I am surprised the city council is taking action on unlicensed businesses run by illegal immigrants. Wow, what about those vendors standing in street corners in Esquela and at the church on Rengstorff(near walgreens)? I understand these people are trying to make a living and not getting rich. But then we are a country of laws. Aren't we? Why then the laws are not enforced? MV openly supports law violating illegal immigrants and showers with goodies. waht a bunch of rogue town MV has become with all these rotten people running our city?

mmmmm, gotta love those taacccos

Careful jupiterk, you are actually using logic and that's not welcome on the Voice's Town Square.

The City council does whatever it likes without regard to fairness before the law. On that, you hit the nail on the head.

if you care about hygiene and your quality of food, then stay away from food trucks. Not that you will die of eating the food from the trucks, but it doesn't meet the standard that you would expect from a developed country. I understand the food truck vendors are making a living. I visit the food trucks only in the fairs or some kind of festivals where they have to pay to sell their food there.

Actually the current code does not allow the new style of truck to operate . Council and staff are supportive of the trucks they just need an ordinance update so the trucks CAN legally operate. watch the meeting instead of relying on the VOICE and mr.debolt

That's right. Businesses providing a service that people want disrupts the status quo. Can't have that. If the people didn't want the food trucks, there wouldn't be such long lines of people voting for them with their dollars.