IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - Iowa City officials are considering allowing more mobile food vendors in addition to those already serving the downtown pedestrian mall.
The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports (https://icp-c.com/1pcLbWf ) the Iowa City Council showed interest Tuesday in instituting a food truck pilot program this summer. Geoff Fruin, the assistant to the city manager, said the pilot could run from mid-July to late October.
The proposal comes in response to residents seeking more mobile vending opportunities and the formation of the Mobile Vending Association of Iowa City. It would allow mobile vendors at three new sites. Currently, six mobile vending permits have been issued for the pedestrian mall.
Fruin said the program could prove to be a learning opportunity to see if changes to the city’s current mobile vending policy are needed and to test new locations. He said the council could discuss long-term solutions over the winter following the pilot’s implementation.
Initial plans for the program limit the number of vendors and the days and hours they can serve at two locations. A larger number of permits could be issued for the third location.
Under the proposal, vending permits would cost $15 per day. The money would go toward an Iowa City beautification effort, city park operations and the East Side Recycling Center.
“I like the experimental nature of it,” said Jim Throgmorton, an Iowa City councilor. “I’m all for it, and I think it’s a great idea.”
The council plans to vote on the program June 3.
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Information from: Iowa City Press-Citizen, https://www.press-citizen.com/
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