Think that job-killing regulations are just a Federal problem? Think again. Columbia is just recently experiencing a food truck revival, which has brought great food and a wonderful sense of style to our little town. However, the City Council has passed a stupid regulation:
Starting in February, any vendor who wants to set up shop on private property to sell anything from puppies to produce must have written permission from the landowner. They also must provide city officials with drawings of the sites they frequent and must meet zoning requirements, especially having sufficient parking spaces.
This is ridiculous. If I, as a private property owner, want to invite a food truck to come to my business, I have to draft and execute a written agreement. Then, the food truck has to go down to the City of Columbia and provide a government clerk with a copy of that agreement, provide a drawing of the site, and must jump through other hoops, and probably fill out a couple forms...and probably pay some sort of fee. I would think that permission from the property owner should be sufficient.
Keep in mind that the government is only open Monday - Friday from 8:30AM to 5:00PM, also. If I (as a business owner) wanted to do an event with a Food Truck on a Saturday as a spontaneous event because I had an unexpectedly large turnout at my store, that would be illegal. Heaven forbid the City of Columbia doesn't get to approve a little form saying that I can have some people over to sell tacos from a truck.
Don't forget, the food trucks are already licensed. They have a business license and they pay sales taxes, so they're already generating money for the government. Now they're going to have get an additional license and jump through more hoops: to sell food out of a truck. Seriously guys? Can I just eat my BBQ in peace?
Our City Government needs to focus on the serious problems facing Columbia. Food trucks selling me delicious BBQ are not one of them. The City is saying that this is an "unintended consequence", and that they're trying to get at other people, but what's the deal with that? Are we having an epidemic of moving flea markets? Is that the biggest problem we have now as a City? This is just another example of the over-regulation that is running rampant at every level of government in America. Keep your regulations off my food truck!
well now old fellow, if you want to see ridiculous then just check out what it takes to sell at a farmer's market here in sc. i have all sorts of garden stuff and looked into it - but there is no way i am going to do all that. I can remember going to the farmer's market with my mother when it was on Assembly St and the vendors were selling out of the backs of their cars and trucks. Of course, if you meet the politcally correct standards the state will actually come build you a roadside stand for free. We took the 9th largest Farmer's Market in the United States doing a huge amount of business and turned it into a parking lot. The new Market is not intended to be a replacement and will not be
ReplyDeleteThought you mind find this interesting:
ReplyDeletehttp://reason.com/blog/2011/08/25/portland-the-land-of-the-food