[This transcript was generated automatically from audio using AI and hasn't been reviewed by a person -- it can contain mistakes, including plausible-sounding sentences that were never actually said. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record.]

[3:02] Hi, I'm calling to order these special committee on reducing red tape. It is Wednesday, March 18th at 12.03 pm. Madam Clerk, please call the roll.
[3:15] Alderman Narayan,
[3:19] Vice Chair Brownie.
[3:21] President.
[3:23] Alderman Velasquez, President.
[3:26] Alderman Aldridge.
[3:31] Alderman Cox Antwee.
[3:34] Chair Swiser.
[3:35] President.
[3:37] Alderman Narayan.
[3:39] Alderman Cox Antwee.
[3:43] Have four.
[3:43] Present.
[3:44] We have a quorum.
[3:45] Thank you, Madam Clerk.
[3:46] Quorum being present.
[3:47] We'll move on to approval of the minutes.
[3:49] I do want to note that the minutes from Wednesday.
[3:52] November 19th at the top as as 12 30 a.m. so if that could just be edited to say 12 30 p.m.
[3:58] And with that edit, I would entertain emotion to adopt the minutes from Wednesday, November 19th, 2025.
[4:08] So moved. Second.
[4:10] Madam, it's been moved by the Alderman from the sex, seconded from the Alderman from the 14th. Madam Clerk, please call the roll.
[4:16] Autumn in the Ryan, five-year Browning, all the women of the last kids.
[4:25] Autumn in Aldridge.
[4:27] Hi.
[4:28] Autumn in Cox Antoine,
[4:32] chair swifter.
[4:33] Hi.
[4:35] Autumn in the Ryan.
[4:36] Madam Clark, I think they're an Autumn in the Ryan,
[4:38] and Autumn in Cox Antoine are actually moved over.
[4:42] So I want you to move them over if you could do the role.
[4:45] This second time through.
[5:22] Wonderful.
[5:26] Autumn in the Ryan.
[5:32] I'll double my cocks and tweet.
[5:35] I have six eyeballs.
[5:37] Thank you.
[5:38] With that vote, we have passed the motion of or passed the approval of the minutes from
[5:44] Wednesday, remember 19, 2025.
[5:48] Moving on.
[5:55] We'll move to board bills for review.
[5:57] We have one board bill to review.
[5:59] That is board bill number 150.
[6:02] I introduced by Alderman Aldridge.
[6:03] Alderman Aldridge, you are recognized on board bill 152.
[6:06] All
[6:26] right, thank you Madam Chairwoman and members of Red Tate Committee.
[6:31] Board Bill 152, eventually we will have a committee sub, but I'll just high level talk about what the bill is.
[6:41] And then hopefully we can adopt the committee sub to talk about the changes from the original bill to the committee sub and then have some amendments.
[6:47] So Board Bill 152 is ultimately repealing and amending certain ordinance within our food truck
[6:57] and vending district code.
[6:59] So this has been a long and the works bill.
[7:02] I think this is probably the third year that this bill has been filed and worked on
[7:07] as got out of committee last year, and I think we're at a really good point of getting
[7:12] out, and hopefully getting to the floor this year.
[7:15] This is a piece of legislation that has truly been a group effort of many individuals.
[7:21] So I do want to thank all individuals who have been at the table this year to kind of work on this piece of legislation.
[7:27] We've started to meet weeks ago with a lot of stakeholders.
[7:30] First, we had a stay-coder from the Central Assembly of Mr. Jim Dwyer.
[7:35] We'll make sure I get his last name right Mr. James Page from downtown DNA.
[7:40] Neighborhood Association, Mr. Matt O'Leary, who is over the downtown for.
[7:45] We had the President and the Vice President of the Food Truck Association.
[7:48] We had the President of the Food, or the Restaurant Association, who's here with us today,
[7:54] as well as individuals from the street department.
[7:57] My office Mr. Matt Heskamp, as well as Ms. April, who was amazing taking notes, somebody
[8:03] from the President Office, Ms. Janika Hayden, helped on this policy, and in the previous
[8:08] years, some of the language that we incorporated came from the mayor's office when KC was
[8:15] helping on the last version as well as the street department.
[8:19] So what we plan to do when we eventually adopt the committee's serve is we're ultimately trying to cut red tape for food trucks for them to be able to operate one of the things I heard as I spoke with a lot of food truck owners is
[8:32] It wasn't really clear between SOTC and the streets department when they get their map of where they actually can operate and bend so we want to clear that up and give more options would make it very detail of where they can
[8:45] Food trucks throughout other cities have been very successful as well as even in our city on a tower grove
[8:51] Kind of do their food truck weekends
[8:53] Food trucks also set up in various spots either in like the Central Estana or in the wash-out area
[8:59] But it is to give food truck operators more ability to hopefully
[9:04] Know what the rules and regulations are so that they can van a lot of food trucks actually also have brick-and-mortars
[9:10] There are studies that show that a lot of food trucks who do not have the capital to go into brick and mortar.
[9:15] They start as a food truck to then hopefully open up a brick and mortar.
[9:19] So before I walk through the bill and just talk about some of the changes that we're trying to do to make operations easier for our food trucks.
[9:26] I would just ask if we would be able to suspend the rules to introduce the committee to Board Bill 152.
[9:37] Okay. Thank you very much, Alderman. And with that, I will entertain a motion to adopt the committee substitute for board bill.
[9:44] It has spent the rules to adopt the committee substitute for board bill 150.
[9:48] I move that we suspend the rules to adopt the committee substitute for board bill 152.
[9:55] Okay.
[9:56] We have a move.
[9:57] It will move by Alderman from the six words.
[9:59] Seconded by the Alderman from 14th word to adopt the committee substitute for board bill 152.
[10:06] Madam clerk, please call them.
[10:09] Autumn in the right.
[10:11] Aye.
[10:14] Vice Chair Browning.
[10:15] Aye.
[10:16] Out of one of the last kids.
[10:19] Autumn in Aldridge.
[10:20] Aye.
[10:21] Out of one of my cocks, Ant-wee.
[10:23] Aye.
[10:24] Chair Switzer.
[10:26] Aye.
[10:26] We have six aye votes.
[10:28] Thank you.
[10:29] Your vote, you have sustained the motion
[10:30] in the Alderman of the six ward
[10:32] and suspended the rules
[10:33] for the purposes of adopting board bill number 152 committee
[10:38] substitute or at bill number 152 committee substitute is now in front of us. All
[10:43] remaining may proceed. Thank you madam chairman members of the committee. A lot of
[10:47] things in us sent a red line version to everybody as well as the voted clean copy of
[10:53] it. So there is several things that is going to stay in the current food truck ordinance.
[10:58] At some point the goal is to work with all those stakeholders and to bring back to the
[11:04] able next session to do a overhaul cleanup of the food truck or
[11:09] nets because when you look at it, it addresses food trucks, it addresses
[11:12] sidewalks and one of the things that we will change is it talks about food
[11:16] vendors. So with working with the streets apartment, we did clean up just
[11:21] striking out the food vendor on page through four of the clean
[11:27] version and we inserted it with a food or mobile food vendor is or
[11:32] vehicle vendor, which means any person whose sales are offered the sales of goods, merchandise,
[11:37] service goods, or beverages from self-contained, motorized vehicles.
[11:43] So it wasn't very clear in the vehicle language what a kind of food truck is.
[11:47] So instead of just keeping the vehicle vendor, we end up changing that and including mobile
[11:53] food truck or mobile food vendor or a vehicle vendor.
[11:56] on page 5 of the bill and I'm trying to on the same page I'm trying to keep a
[12:04] red line version and the actual clean copy on page 4 one of the things you'll
[12:08] see is we took out all the word districts because what these will ultimately
[12:13] be called is commercial or vending commercial markets so in the previous
[12:18] ordinance it says a lot of vending districts a lot of vending districts which
[12:22] later throughout the bill we got rid of all the vending districts as we
[12:26] create a more direct centralized food truck kind of markets.
[12:32] So you'll see district strike out to out the bill starting on page four
[12:37] whereas boat it and then the red line copy you'll see it on that.
[12:41] So it's not in the clean copy where you strike out a district.
[12:44] But in the red line copy we strike out the districts.
[12:46] One of the things that we did keep in with the districts on the next page
[12:50] is the warf district, which was already in ordnance.
[12:55] So the warf district is located down at the arch.
[12:58] It is kind of a district that was established along.
[13:02] Time ago, that is agreement with the arch foundation
[13:04] and the city of St. Louis that they have the rights
[13:07] to be able to sail right there on the arch ground
[13:10] where they typically sail that amazing popcorn and lemonade.
[13:13] So we did keep that exemption in there for the arch.
[13:17] As well as there was an aprevious ordnance
[13:20] There was language that had an exemption for like south of downtown, which mainly is a bush
[13:25] stadium. So we made sure that that exemption for bush stadium stayed in. They kind of owned
[13:30] the rights to those grounds and they already have food trips. That was an agreement that the food
[13:36] truck vendors were fine with because if the the cargo south of the event, they usually call the food
[13:41] trucks and invite the certain food trucks if they want kind of on their property. So we did keep in
[13:46] and the Worf District and then area south of downtown,
[13:50] which is the Cardinals.
[13:52] What you will see on page five is what we established
[13:55] the new vending commercial markets.
[13:59] So there will be an amendment that will change one of those,
[14:02] but we established several as well as at one of those markets.
[14:06] So what we did is we established a central West end market,
[14:10] a Cherokee commercial vending district market,
[14:12] a citywide parks vending market,
[14:14] which was already in the bill.
[14:16] We worked with the Park's Department from last year
[14:18] to say that the parks have the ability to maintain
[14:21] and direct if a food truck can go in a park.
[14:24] There's language later in the bill that there's a process
[14:26] that people would have to go to if they were like a food truck
[14:29] in the park.
[14:29] They would have to reach out to the park's department.
[14:32] It only can happen on Fridays due to limited staffing.
[14:34] We want to make sure that we're not pulling our park's
[14:37] apartment and stretching them thin.
[14:39] We also included a downtown commercial vending district.
[14:43] And I'll walk through the area.
[14:45] So the central West End, which there will be a amendment very soon,
[14:49] to probably strike that out, is a long dunk in av between the intersection
[14:53] of South Sarah and South Boyle after some conversations with
[14:57] Cortex, which will strike that out.
[14:59] They are ready.
[15:00] We have, I think, the Aldermen can speak to this little bit more, I think it's a common ground area, but they already have events where they have food trucks.
[15:09] In the areas, they're also looking to bring restaurants kind of a long dunk in, so they're already kind of participating in the process, so we didn't want to add another layer that probably will complicate that.
[15:20] In the Cherokee District, I worked with all the women of the 7th, and I know she worked with the
[15:25] Sid, where we created intersections at Cherokee between Jefferson Avenue and Compton,
[15:33] and Jefferson Avenue in the curb lines of Cherokee Street at the first alleys located north
[15:38] and south of the block. So basically when you travel down, Cherokee, we're looking at streets like Iowa,
[15:47] Nebraska, and those streets are very unique where they are very close to residential.
[15:52] So we put language in there that said very close to the alleyway.
[15:56] So we have worked with the seeds and all the women to be very clear where they cannot go
[16:01] beyond the alley because beyond the alley is where you kind of get into the residential.
[16:05] And the downtown commercial market we're looking at the public right away among market
[16:10] between the intersection, the South, Aft Street, and South, 16th Street.
[16:15] So they would be located up and down market from Aft to 16th.
[16:18] One of the things that has been talked about is I talked to people that work downtown
[16:24] is there's not a lot of food options for people that you know work downtown
[16:29] and you know we have Bobby who's out on the corner who sells amazing food
[16:33] but there's not a lot of options for people to get food kind of during those work hours.
[16:38] Another market that we're adding is the Downtown West Commercial Vending Market, which will be right outside of the intersection on Olive and 18th Street and 19th Street right near the police station and conversations with MLS soccer.
[16:53] They was in agreement with being able to add this location so as people leave the soccer game that they could be able to go to a food truck.
[17:00] And we also added a location at North Leppingwell in Permuda, right?
[17:11] That was one of the suggestions from the Food Truck Association's right outside of
[17:15] World's Fargo, Wales Fargo.
[17:17] They used to have a lot of food truck options out there, but they kind of stopped.
[17:20] So we're adding that back in.
[17:22] One of the, another location that we're adding is a grants and a commercial vending district
[17:26] with talking with grants and our arts.
[17:28] They was in support of this location. It's kind of right outside of Sophie's
[17:33] Barth and that is located right at Josephine
[17:37] So this new location would be a long Washington between Compton and Josephine again
[17:41] There's not a lot of food options there typically if you go to Sophie's there is a food truck that pull up there
[17:47] But technically
[17:49] Just the way that it's written, you know, probably you shouldn't be there
[17:52] So we just want to clarify it to make sure that they have the right to be there and to give that food option to them
[17:58] Again, we talked with the Grand Center and they was in very support of making sure that there's more food option in the Grand Center as you get to page 9 of the bill
[18:08] This is where we talk about
[18:12] Give me a second
[18:14] Actually page 11 of the bill is where there's language that already talks about sidewalk and vehicle vendors
[18:20] I want to be very clear. We did not touch anything when it comes to sidewalk vendors again in the code
[18:25] When you look at food trucks and sidewalk vendors, they're kind of all into one.
[18:30] We did not want to touch sidewalk vendors.
[18:32] I was never the go when we worked on the legislation last year,
[18:35] and also this year is to touch the sidewalk vendors,
[18:38] but to start with the food truck.
[18:40] Hopefully when we come back around and ultimately do a huge cleanup of the code,
[18:44] because it's all in one, that we would be able to touch the sidewalk vendors.
[18:47] But we did add on page 11, online five,
[18:52] that these designated commercial vending markets that are established
[18:55] in the previous section of the mobile food truck should not be applied to the sidewalk license
[19:00] vendor. So basically we're just keeping those separate. We're keeping the food truck
[19:04] and the sidewalk vendors separate all licensees from the sidewalk vendors currently have to
[19:09] go through the streets department which they already currently do and any sidewalk vending
[19:14] operate operating prior to this passage of the ordinance will still be able to operate in
[19:20] current form so we didn't want to pass this bill and then make it even more confusing for the
[19:26] sidewalk vendors who want to be very clear this was only about our food trucks. On the next
[19:31] page this was just an addition that the streets department thought would be important is when we talk
[19:36] about insurance that also there must be on their insurance they must list it with the city of St. Louis.
[19:42] Right below that again in our code and originally the bill said sidewalk and vehicle vendors shall
[19:49] only be permitted to operate from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
[19:53] Since we are changing the operating hours of food trucks,
[19:57] we end up striking that out we created a new a and b.
[20:00] The a is for the businesses that our sidewalk vendors will keep in the
[20:04] mad 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. which is in the current ordinance,
[20:07] and we're extending the hours for food trucks from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.
[20:13] further down on that page and section on page 14,
[20:17] line 15, we talk about O, which basically the Street Department shall maintain all applications
[20:23] of license vendors and shall publicly post those on the website so that people can know
[20:29] exactly who are the license food trucks that are allowed to be in those areas. In section
[20:35] our line 21 on page 14, at 8.108A, we created this new mobile food vending permit display, which
[20:47] which ultimately will display a permit number on each food truck vehicle so that people
[20:54] can be able to identify what the food truck is and who the food truck is and we talk
[21:00] with the street department. They are in full support to be able to kind of create this new
[21:04] platter that will now be displayed on each food truck. They shall have a decal that is no less than
[21:10] 6 inches in diameter and 6 inches of kind of the square footage on all sides.
[21:17] These must be displayed on the outside of the food truck.
[21:21] The streets department will work with the food trucks to create these new plackers so
[21:25] that these decals can be scanable and also it will be a link that will go to the city
[21:30] public database to know if this food truck is actually a food truck that is licensed
[21:36] with the city of St. Louis.
[21:37] When we get to page 17 of 21, we struck out a lot of language that was in the O-Bio and we just added again the cleanup between
[21:49] vehicle and mobile food truck and just added all vehicle vendors must comply with this display
[21:55] display requirement of the section that is above which is talking about the permit or the decal that has to go on the food truck
[22:03] that the streets department is now in favor of doing.
[22:07] Well, we get to a lot of strikeouts here from the O1 on page 21.
[22:17] We did at a complaint in violation kind of process so that people that have issues with
[22:24] either food trucks that are not operating in good faith or food trucks that are
[22:30] Operating out of the hours of operations can have a process to be able to file a complaint with C.S.B.
[22:37] And we did put like a process of how many complaints will lead up to potentially a suspension
[22:45] and violations against the food truck and even potential revocation of their food truck license up to one year,
[22:52] which is right below that any allegations will be investigated, so it does give kind of due process
[22:57] just because somebody file a complaint with a food truck.
[23:00] It will be investigated by the street department.
[23:03] If three legitimate violations are actually found to be
[23:06] deemable, the food truck permit shall be suspended just for two weeks.
[23:10] And we'll work with the street department to make sure whatever
[23:13] actions is correct it.
[23:15] If five violations are determined or that actually exists,
[23:18] then the food truck permit will be revoked for a one-year process.
[23:22] Again, we wanted to add some kind of accountability in there to make sure
[23:27] that we know a lot of our food trucks are operating and get standing, but if there is a
[23:32] complaint of a food truck that there's a complaint process, and on the very last page page
[23:37] 21 of 21, we added that we will review this legislation within one year. The go is to continue
[23:46] to keep all the stakeholders at the table to make sure where these vending areas are that
[23:51] that things are going fine, that there's no issues,
[23:55] and then review it if we need to remove
[23:58] maybe certain vending zones, or hopefully,
[24:01] some Alder say, hey, this is a great piece of legislation
[24:04] and we would like to add some vending zones
[24:05] with that hour area.
[24:07] So we will have a one year review from the board of Alderman
[24:10] that I'm personally committed to,
[24:12] and I know I've talked with everybody who's at the kind of work
[24:15] in group that will review this legislation in a year
[24:17] to follow back up to see what needs to be cleaned up
[24:20] what needs to be improved on this legislation.
[24:24] But again, the goal of it is to ultimately,
[24:27] since this is a red tape committee,
[24:29] cut a lot of red tape that our food trucks
[24:32] are currently going through so that they could be able
[24:34] to operate in more areas, but being very clear
[24:37] where those areas that they can operate in
[24:40] so that not only is it clear for the food truck operators,
[24:44] but it's also clear for people in the city
[24:46] where food trucks can and cannot be.
[24:49] If there is a special event,
[24:50] This does, there is exemptions where, you know, if there's a event downtown where they close off the street and they want to have food trucks
[24:58] This is not stop them or any other neighborhood from being able to have a food truck at a special event.
[25:04] There is language in there that also separates food trucks, a certain amount of feet from brick and mortar. There will be an amendment that will be coming that increase that distance that we worked with the restaurant association to move it from 150 feet to 200 feet.
[25:20] However, all these areas where we are looking at having these food truck markets are far enough
[25:27] away from restaurants, as well as we talked with individuals in the areas to make sure
[25:34] that it is okay for these food trucks to be at the certain locations.
[25:39] So before we go into questions, Madam Chair, if we want to maybe adopt the amendments,
[25:45] then we can have like the full bill in front of us to walk through any questions that committee
[25:49] members may have. I think that is a great idea, Alderman. Let's start with amendment number
[25:55] one to board bill number one 52. I see Alderman Jamie Cox entry has proposed this.
[26:03] So if Alderman Cox entry wants to make a motion to adopt and if someone else seconds that we can
[26:08] have discussion of that. Thank you Madam Chairwoman. Yes, I would like to move to adopt
[26:16] amendment one to board bill 152 second. So moved by the all the one from the eighth
[26:21] word seconded by the Alderman from the ninth word discussion on this amendment
[26:26] Alderman Cox entry you are recognized. Thank you madam chairwoman. Yes amendment one is
[26:33] specifically designed to add sous lard onto the list of neighborhoods and areas that are included
[26:39] in this board bill. The reason that we felt it was necessary to add sous lard similar to a lot of
[26:45] The other areas that Alderman Aldrich designated, there is a lot of activity, foot traffic,
[26:52] an interest in the two-lard community as well.
[26:56] And as the intention of this bill is to make sure that we're clarifying where food trucks
[27:00] are and aren't allowed to operate, we felt it was necessary given that a two-lard would
[27:05] be a very attractive neighborhood where some food trucks may want to consider operations
[27:10] to have a clear designated place for them to operate as well.
[27:14] already in the section of the code to Lard Market was discussed and carved out and my amendment
[27:22] doesn't necessarily restrict any operations for vendors inside of the Soolard Market footprint.
[27:28] Rather, it would allow a small stretch of Soolard outside of the market area for food vendors
[27:34] to park there. This area, as discussed with the Soolard Restoration Group and Soolard Business
[27:40] district association meets the similar descriptions as
[27:44] Alderman Aldrich described with other areas where we're not near any
[27:49] high residential areas so we're not wanting food trucks to park right
[27:53] outside of houses or in key neighborhoods rather this areas are
[27:57] ready and active commercial strip where we do have restaurant activity
[28:02] in tourist activity but again this stretch is away from the main restaurant
[28:06] commercial stretch. And so we would be separating the food trucks out so that they are not
[28:11] parking directly in front of restaurant and brick and mortar establishment. So again, the small
[28:16] stretch of Lafayette Avenue is away from residential activity. It's far away from existing brick and mortar
[28:23] restaurants. And it's on the other side of the park from the Sealard market itself. So we thought this was
[28:28] probably the best place to designate for food trucks and Sealard and that Sealard would be a good
[28:33] community to add to this list of already good communities.
[28:37] Thank you, Alderman and any other discussion on this amendment?
[28:42] Alderman, Aldrich.
[28:43] Thank you.
[28:43] I'll just add and I appreciate the Alderman for mentioning that there is the carve out
[28:49] that was already in the language for the Sular market.
[28:53] We know that people pay to, you know, vend at the Sular market.
[28:57] So without creating more competition, I do appreciate and competitions not bad.
[29:02] But I appreciate the all the women from the 8th with working with her neighborhood to try to identify areas that would be as close to a bit option where there's lack of food, but in the language that there is or in the bill, there's already in a carve out for a solar market as well. So I appreciate flagging that.
[29:20] Okay, any further discussion?
[29:23] Okay, it's been moved by the Alderman from the 8th second in by the Alderman from the 9th to adopt amendment number one to board bill 152.
[29:32] committee substitute. All in favor, signify by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries.
[29:42] We have adopted amendment number one to board bill 152 committee.
[29:48] Looks like amendment number two is Alderman Aldrich. So he'd like to make amendment to adopt amendment number two.
[29:55] Board bill 152 committee sub as amended continue.
[29:59] Thank you, madam.
[30:00] Chairwoman, members of the committee's amendment number 2, please make a motion first.
[30:05] Okay, I can't make a motion to adopt amendment number 2 to Board Bill 152, committee substitute as amended.
[30:11] Second, been moved by the Alderman from the 14 seconded by the Alderman from the 6th Alderman from the 14th, please proceed.
[30:19] Thank you, Madam Chairwoman, amendment number 2, on page 3, on page 3, what we talked about all the vending districts, what we're doing is we're striking out the central west side.
[30:29] and Vending District, and then since we adopted a amendment number one that creates
[30:35] Zoolar, we just correctly put them in alphabetical order, where now we will have
[30:39] Cherokee, Vending District, the Citywide, Vending District, the Downtown, Commercial
[30:43] Vending District, Downtown, West Commercial, Vending District, the Grand Center, Commercial
[30:48] Vending District, and then Addigan, Aldoam and from the 8th Zoolar, Vending District, but within
[30:56] conversations of people in cortex, we felt that it may make sense to strike that went out because
[31:03] there's already food truck activity where they do invite food trucks to come within that area.
[31:10] So we're striking out the central West End, vending district, and then just re-affirmitizing
[31:15] the rest of the districts as well as one that's added by the Aldoam and from the eighth.
[31:20] Okay, and is this on page five or page three?
[31:26] You actually write it is actually on page five.
[31:30] Okay.
[31:31] Madam Clerk, can you please note that in the amendment?
[31:34] It's beginning on page five.
[31:40] Yes, so amendment number two says beginning on page
[31:43] Making sure that it's page five.
[31:47] Not page three.
[31:48] Correct, page five.
[31:50] Thank you for that check out the woman.
[31:53] Yes, you're welcome.
[31:54] Let me just make sure.
[32:05] Okay, any further discussion on
[32:09] Amendment number two.
[32:16] Seeing nine, we have a motion to adopt a amendment number two to board bill 152 committee substitute as amended and the Alderman from the 14th, a second from the Alderman from the 6th. All in favor, signify by saying aye.
[32:32] Any post.
[32:34] Motion carries you adopted amendment number two to board bill number 152 may substitute as amended with that change from page three to page five.
[32:44] Okay, Alderman, Aldridge, you are recognized at first to make the amendment, amendment
[32:51] number three, if you'd like to make that amendment.
[32:56] Motion.
[32:56] I could ask.
[32:57] I'd like to make a motion that we adopt.
[32:59] Amendment number three to board bill 152 committee sets.
[33:03] Second.
[33:04] So I can't.
[33:04] So I moved by the Alderman from the 14 seconded by the Alderman from the six to adopt
[33:10] amendment number three to board bill number 152 as amended Alderman Alder G. May 15.
[33:16] Thank you, Madam Chair. Well, then we did get the page right this time at the line.
[33:21] This was one of the requests from the restaurant association and negotiating and get faith.
[33:27] So online 12 where we talk about and this was already language that was currently in our code
[33:33] where it says no license vendor shall can vend their business within 150 feet.
[33:38] we're changing that from 150 feet to 200 feet again, it was negotiated with the restaurant association to
[33:46] just make sure that there's that kind of protection between brick and borders of food truck,
[33:50] even though the distance that we're looking at will not be within the kind of that range of those
[33:56] restaurants. So that is amendment number three. Okay, any further discussion?
[34:04] It's been moved by
[34:05] Alderman from the 14th seconded by the Alderman from the six to adopt amendment number
[34:11] three to Board Bill 152 Community Substitute as amended. All those in favor signify by saying aye.
[34:18] Aye. Any opposed?
[34:22] Motion carries. We've adopted amendment number one two and three to
[34:28] Board Bill 152 Community Substitute as amended. Alderman Aldridge you may proceed.
[34:34] Thank you. I will take questions unless if we want to go to like I know people here to speak so.
[34:39] Great, thank you so much. I will do public comment before we move forward with members of the committee.
[34:45] So if you are here to speak on this, make sure you've signed in with the clerk on the table up there.
[34:51] Once you've done so, we'll move to everyone, sworn in at the same time, and every speaker will be allowed three minutes to speak.
[35:04] We'll just give people one minute to get signed up if they'd like to and then we'll move forward.
[35:35] Okay, Madam Clerk, you have people signed up?
[35:38] We have three people signed up.
[35:40] Wonderful, everyone, anyone online as well?
[35:43] No, just in the chambers.
[35:45] Okay.
[35:45] Well if you are online and want to speak, make sure you raise your hand to let the clerk know.
[35:50] But first of all, we'll start with the people who are in the room if you do plan on testifying.
[35:54] Can you please raise your right hand?
[35:57] Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
[36:03] Great.
[36:03] All right, Madam Clerk, please have the first speaker called to the podium.
[36:07] Mr. James Dwyer, in opposition, but undecided.
[36:14] Thank you, Mr. Dwyer.
[36:15] Please proceed.
[36:20] Okay.
[36:22] First of all, I want to say that I applaud all the men, all rich.
[36:28] Thank you.
[36:29] Oh, thank you.
[36:30] I'm not applaud your twice.
[36:31] So, I really appreciate the process that we have been engaged in now for, well since early 2024, so it's two years that we've been engaged in this effort to help shape a bill that works for all affected parties, and I think we have made phenomenal progress. I don't think we're there yet, and that's why I'm here to testify today.
[36:58] So, the first matter I want to bring to your attention, and I know I've only got three minutes, but I want to bring a procedural matter, a question to your attention, and that has to do with Board of Alderman rule 642, which requires that
[37:15] proposed legislation be circulated by a certain time 24 hours in advance of a
[37:20] committee hearing. I'm not certain of this but my understanding is that that rule was
[37:26] not conformed with or to yesterday.
[37:30] And therefore, I think there is a procedural question about whether the outcome of this proceeding today will have standing. I just want to get that on the record.
[37:42] So, into my substantive comments, Madam Chair, members of the committee, you may recall that an earlier version of this proposed legislation was first introduced as Board Bill 14 in April 2024, with the intention of creating the city wide.
[37:59] than in District.
[38:01] To their credit, a working group was convened by Alderman Aldridge and Wader St. Louis
[38:06] Inc. with the objective of addressing concerns, reconciling differences, and achieving
[38:12] consensus on details of that proposal.
[38:16] Although substantial progress was made, critical matters remained unresolved, and Board of
[38:21] Bill 14 was withdrawn from consideration in January 2025.
[38:25] With the understanding that the working group would reconvene to complete its mission, regrettably, no further action occurred over the following 12 months, until the working group was reconvened by all the menaltage four weeks ago on February 18.
[38:43] The group has met five times since then, most recently, last Thursday, March 12th.
[38:50] As before, substantial progress has been made, including a transformational switch from
[38:55] statewide to a concept of identifying defined zones as just described by the Olderman.
[39:03] In multiple locations, in which food trucks would be authorized to operate.
[39:07] Multiple zones were proposed, each of which required review and reaction by the affected
[39:15] neighbourhoods. Meanwhile, several critical issues remained up-to-off, including mandatory
[39:20] closing time, distance from established brick and mortar businesses, rules and regulations
[39:25] and a process for filing and adjudication of whites.
[39:31] When the latest version of Board
[39:33] Bill 152, and I wrote this before the three amendments introduced.
[39:38] With generated this week, it contains sweeping last-minute provisions regarding sidewalk
[39:43] vending.
[39:44] A category that was not subject to meaningful consideration by the working group.
[39:48] Instead, it was understood and agreed that either current provisions regarding sidewalk
[39:54] vending would remain unchanged from existing legislation.
[39:58] and would be dealt with separately at a later date, or alternatively, all references to sidewalk
[40:04] funding would be removed from Board Bill 1.
[40:07] Regrettably, the proposed legislation presented for your consideration today contains problematic
[40:13] provisions that have not been reviewed or discussed in the working group.
[40:19] Bottom line, in its present form, this legislation is not ready for consideration by the
[40:24] of Alderman. Important work remains to be done. There is no compelling reason to rush this
[40:31] still incomplete legislation out of committee today. Nor is there any reason why the working group
[40:37] cannot continue its work until the consensus has achieved and legislation can be reintroduced
[40:43] early in the upcoming 2026-27 session. So I urge you not to pass the bill out of committee today.
[40:52] Thank you.
[40:55] Thank you, Mr. Dwyer.
[40:56] Any questions from Mr. Dwyer?
[40:58] Members, the committee?
[41:00] All there been from the 9th year, recognize.
[41:02] Thank you, Mr. Dwyer. It's always good to see you.
[41:04] If you could say up here, might have some questions for you.
[41:07] I don't have a question for you.
[41:08] I just wanted to address the first point you made about the timeline.
[41:11] We did suspend the rules of the beginning of the meeting in order to accept the committee's substitute.
[41:16] You are right. There is typically a requirement of a
[41:19] a period where the bill has to be submitted before the meeting, but we did suspend that
[41:25] rule by vote today. So that point is addressed, but I do hear your concern about that,
[41:33] and that is something I plan on addressing in a bit about just the timeline. This has
[41:38] been on, sorry. I do appreciate your time line issue for us. It's just a matter of adequate time
[41:43] to do our work properly. Mr. Dryer, for the record, can you say you've been part of the working group
[41:48] been you've been part of the working group. Okay. I was invited to participate on day one and I
[41:54] have been engaged. Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, and I have been engaged continuously from that point
[42:01] forward as have a dozen other people. Okay. Thank you, sir. Okay. Madam Quirk, if you can call the next speaker.
[42:08] Brian Scott.
[42:13] Mr Scott, thank you for being here. Just make sure to say your full name for the record.
[42:17] Brian Scott. Okay, and are you a resident of the city of St. Louis? I am born and raised in St. Louis and a business.
[42:26] Wonderful. Please proceed. Thank you. Madam Chairwoman Alderman board.
[42:34] Appreciate you convening this today. I want to give special thanks to Alderman Aldrich who has really taken up this
[42:48] This monumental task of benefiting the St. Louis city.
[42:57] And this is what this is really about.
[43:01] I am a food truck owner.
[43:04] I am a restaurant owner as well.
[43:07] I've had two restaurants in the city of St. Louis
[43:10] And I own a full truck, doggy max, full truck, and I've been operating for eight years now.
[43:18] And as I was a born and raised in North St. Louis, you glint in St. Louis Avenue.
[43:26] So I've been living in the city of St. Louis for the book of my life.
[43:32] In that time,
[43:36] as small business owners, as a small business owner, as a black small business owner, in St. Louis, it is difficult to break in to the American dream, is difficult to break into the chance to build something from nothing.
[44:00] Food trucks are a way to do that.
[44:04] You, I've owned a restaurant's and food trucks.
[44:11] There are equal expenses in both,
[44:15] but to get into the food truck business is slightly easier to get into the restaurant business
[44:24] because of the mobility sake.
[44:29] And that's what we're talking about here.
[44:31] And that's what this bill is really putting together.
[44:34] It's allowing these mobile food truck owners
[44:38] who are just getting started to really
[44:41] make the best out of this business
[44:43] and grow and to be able to expand
[44:47] if they want into a brick and mortar.
[44:52] And it's really important to have places to live in.
[44:56] And the last eight years that I've all in a food truck.
[45:00] There are places on the map to be able to win, but they are very limited and they are not necessarily what the map says they are.
[45:10] So this bill is the start. I agree with my friend Jim Dwyer. This is not the end. This is just the beginning of something that's going to transform the St. Louis community.
[45:24] And we definitely want to lay this groundwork so that in a year we can come back and
[45:32] read dress and hopefully build once this is a success.
[45:40] Mr. Dwyer did, I want to make sure before my time runs out that I, that I, he said,
[45:47] But there's no compelling reason to pass this bill now, I disagree vehemently.
[45:55] The compelling reason is that food truck owners are closing by the dozens every single year.
[46:03] And it's because we don't have places to vent primarily.
[46:11] So, I disagree that there's not a compelling reason.
[46:15] I think for the sake of tax paying business owners in the city of St. Louis, that that is the most compelling reason to get this start it now.
[46:26] Thank you so much for your comments. Any questions?
[46:29] All right, saying none.
[46:30] Thank you, Sarah. I appreciate you being here today.
[46:32] Thank you.
[46:34] Bill Gabel
[46:38] and support.
[46:42] Thank you, sir.
[46:42] Just make sure to say your full name for the record and your city resident, which
[46:46] Ward or was a son or a BJB in here.
[46:49] I'm Billy Cumel and I'm not a city resident.
[46:53] Okay.
[46:53] Please proceed.
[46:56] I'm here today just to say thank you to Alderman Aldridge.
[47:01] He's done a great job in carrying this bill forward.
[47:04] forming a red tape committee, we work very well together, and looking forward to continuing
[47:13] that work.
[47:15] The Restaurant Association is in support of the Food Truck Bill.
[47:21] We believe that food trucks present an opportunity of an entrepreneurialism.
[47:28] We think that it addresses some of the growing issues that we have in St. Louis.
[47:34] I live not far from here but not in St. Louis and you know where we've you know we're as an industry we're kind of falling on some tough times
[47:44] kind of post-COVID increased cost in a lot of ways we have a lot of our restaurants that are leaving.
[47:51] We believe that food trucks are a big part of that community and help fill those some of those.
[47:58] I don't really like to use the term food desert because we're not there yet, but thinking ahead we could be that.
[48:07] And so I also want to say thanks to the committee.
[48:12] We had originally proposed that we moved them.
[48:17] The food trucks 300 feet away from a brick and mortar with written permission.
[48:22] In the spirit of compromise, the Alderman asked me to take back to my membership and pull
[48:29] them in the spirit of compromise.
[48:33] They were willing to bring that number down to 200 feet to help move this forward.
[48:39] And we are also as an association in favor of the districts, the markets.
[48:45] We think that that's a good opportunity to help build the community in St. Louis and help
[48:51] the food trucks forward. Thank you, sir. How many restaurants do you represent in the city of St. Louis?
[48:57] In St. Louis, 714. Wow, okay. statewide. We are the oldest restaurant association in the United States.
[49:05] statewide. We have 12,000 plus food establishments, many of them, which are food trucks.
[49:12] Many of them are brick and mortar, but also have food trucks.
[49:16] Thank you. Any other questions and members of the committee?
[49:19] Other than the sex you recognized, thank you I just want to clarify 714 within the city of St. Louis.
[49:26] Yes.
[49:28] Thank you.
[49:30] 715, 714.
[49:31] I'm sorry, licensed establishments.
[49:34] So some of them are food trucks that are domiciled in St. Louis.
[49:38] Some of them are sometimes street walk street side vendors, restaurants, brick and mortars.
[49:45] So it's kind of a broad variety there, but seven or 14 licensed establishments
[49:52] Great. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Any other questions to members of the committee?
[49:59] Thank you. Appreciate you being here. Thank you very much for your service. Of course
[50:03] All right, all of them in all judge if you have any comments and then we'll go through members of the committee for questions
[50:09] Yes, I want to thank each person that was actually up here have been part of the working group
[50:14] I think there's been two years now or since last year.
[50:19] I do hear Mr. Jim's concern of, you know, with dealing with groups with all different interests.
[50:29] Just like at the board of all, we never get like a hundred percent agreement.
[50:33] I will say, you know, this board bill was filed at the last day of session.
[50:37] We actually out this committee substitute to all working group members last week as well as every working group member
[50:43] that attended that meeting that we had Thursday was able to see before we put it in
[50:49] bill format, the draft of what the committee saw was. So everything that is in the
[50:55] committee saw was visible to all members. There, you know, I hear the sidewalk. We're not
[51:01] touching anything with sidewalks. I don't know if maybe that's a confusion. There is
[51:06] language. I think on page 11
[51:17] second
[51:24] page 11 that mentions, and this just came from the
[51:30] street department that mentioned sidewalk vendors. I don't know if that's maybe where Mr.
[51:33] Jam is getting confused. But that language again is just saying that the sidewalk language
[51:39] for sidewalk vendors because when you look at the chapter, they talk about food trucks and
[51:44] sidewalks all in the chapter, which is ultimately confusing because they also have different
[51:49] rules and regulations as well as operating hours that we will need to clean up, but we just
[51:54] want to make very clear that this does not pertain to the sidewalks. And I hear this suspension
[52:01] of the rules that was because of the committee substitute. I think it's like 30 something hours per
[52:07] our rules, but it's something I would say that's first before even committee members seen it. I
[52:12] made sure that the working group seen it. And I know it's not in common. I think Aldoam and the
[52:17] committee we suspended a committee substitute for the ARPA bill, which myself, you, Alden
[52:23] Browning, Sanjay, Clark Hubbard, and Shane Alvo before to suspend that rule to introduce
[52:29] that ARPA bill.
[52:30] As you know, a lot of changes happen, as you talk to all the people and outside of talking to all the people was also meeting with stakeholders to try to get everyone.
[52:39] I think it's close to this possible, and I feel really good about where we are, especially going from the citywide language and really tailoring it to descriptive areas and working with those orders to see if it works with them. So, open up for any questions.
[52:52] I really appreciate all those comments. We'll move through the committee in order of seeing.
[52:56] 40, starting with Aldermen, Narayan.
[53:00] No questions, thank you.
[53:02] Thank you, Aldermen Velasquez.
[53:07] Can you just talk through a little bit of the process
[53:09] of how you or how the bill ended up
[53:12] with those areas?
[53:15] Yeah, so originally the bill before we adopted
[53:17] the capacity of the two, I think,
[53:19] for Bill 14 as Mr. Jim or Dwyer had mentioned.
[53:25] The previous ordinance talked about a city-wide approach
[53:28] Because the goal was like, how do we make it easier for food trucks to operate and one of the concerns that I heard from
[53:36] Not just Alders, but the restaurant community by making it city wide not taking into account of the brick and mortar
[53:44] Locations that are there. So one of the cool things I think that was a real huge change that came out of
[53:52] That came out of this piece of legislation is a create those areas. Some of them, you know, was individuals that was at the table of the working group. So having downtown myself represent downtown and all the women Jamie Cox Antwi represent downtown Mr. Page and Mr. Metal Larry was at the working group. So we was like downtown would make sense. Mr. Jim was representing the Central Weston. So we wanted to include this question.
[54:21] Grand Center was a location that one of the stakeholders had brought up in the working group
[54:26] and we have reached out to the Grand Center group to make sure that it worked with them.
[54:31] Outside of, at least for the Central West End, I know it may be a tight turnaround but I did
[54:36] have conversations with all the men on the floor.
[54:39] If this worked, I talked with you all the women in the last class.
[54:42] If there was any areas that were working for your area, I reached out to all the women's
[54:46] to see if there's areas and the first award before we get to hearing that would work.
[54:51] All the women from the seventh, which he indicated that she would love to have a monchirarchy
[54:55] street.
[54:55] So outside of reach and to stay coders, I also reached out to every older that would potentially
[55:02] be impacted by it by just saying, hey, would you like to have an area?
[55:06] You know, as I talked to an aldman from the fifth, he said he wanted to keep the hill out of it.
[55:10] So I reached out to colleagues as well as took input from the people that was at the working
[55:17] Right. Thank you. And then my last question, I know that part of the process, it has been kind of often times a little bit complicated process for vendors. So with this new process and the decals, how are you feeling, how streets feeling about being able to move some of those, you know, they have obviously they have a lot of work to do too. So moving those quickly. So it's not caught up in, you know, the red tape that we're here trying to avoid.
[55:46] Yeah, so that was also one of the suggestions and not only came from a street department, but like a fruit truck association that they would love to be able to have these decals.
[55:55] So that one of the things that came out of a working group is how do we like that complaint process or that identify which food truck is what just in case if again, not trying to say that any food truck would be a bad actor.
[56:10] but if some are not following the rules of regulation,
[56:12] how to identify them outside of maybe their name,
[56:15] which may not be the name or their license.
[56:17] So the streets department,
[56:18] that was one of the things we asked Miss Sandy Hay,
[56:20] will this be a, like you say, more red tape,
[56:23] they take it back to the people that they work with
[56:26] and said this would be something that they can start
[56:28] to implement.
[56:29] They already have the list of already the license trucks.
[56:32] So they're looking at this legislation
[56:33] and seeing, as it moves, as they start to create those decals,
[56:37] Somebody from GSL who was at the table seeing this was done in another city
[56:42] So we're taking the model from the other city of the decow that they have to be able to implement here and the streets apartment feel pretty confident
[56:49] That this shouldn't be anything that would slow down the process in which cities that I can't remember
[56:54] I would have to ask that person. Okay. Thank you. No other questions. Thank you madam. Thank you.
[57:01] the moment we will move to Alderman Cox and 3.
[57:08] Thank you Madam Chairwoman. And thank you
[57:11] Alderman Alderman for bringing this bill to the fore. I know you and I have talked about this
[57:15] extensively. First as we do share downtown and I know a number of our stakeholders have been engaged
[57:20] both in your working group and also monitoring this bill very closely and I know it's taken quite a
[57:26] long time for it to get this point and I appreciate your persistence as I do think this is an
[57:30] extremely important thing for our city to get right and to do well to help benefit both existing
[57:37] businesses, aspiring businesses, and also the patrons right of all the different areas
[57:40] that would hopefully benefit from this.
[57:44] I appreciate you also being willing to add another one of my neighborhoods that are going
[57:50] to be impacted by this and appreciate the committee for adopting the amendment.
[57:53] My only question for you, as I think it'll be an interesting thing to talk about as I
[57:58] we continue to work on this legislation is the additional revision of this section that
[58:04] she meant to look the sidewalk vendors. I know you mentioned it was very important to you
[58:08] to make sure we distinguish between the food truck vendors and the sidewalk vendors and you spoke
[58:13] to revisit that section another time. So can you just explain that a little bit more?
[58:18] Yes ma'am, so the goal, even when we when the bill was originally filed, I think my first year
[58:22] didn't move it, and as we started to work on at last session, was just to address food trucks.
[58:29] But then what we noticed when you look at the code that talk about food trucks, it really
[58:35] has food trucks and sidewalks all mixed into one. There's different rules for food trucks and
[58:40] sidewalks because one's a vehicle, one's like a push car. There was different requirements of certain
[58:45] licensees because sidewalk vendors don't have to get like a certain stuff that vehicle,
[58:51] food truck individuals have to get so the goal was never to when we was doing the food truck
[58:57] last session to touch the sidewalks and I'll be real as things got a little bit more
[59:02] political and within our war with the sidewalk I really wanted to stay away from that
[59:07] until we have a kind of holistic approach of redoing that whole code and not jump into a
[59:15] fight that will look like we are supporting one of the other as more conversations
[59:19] are being worked out in our downtown area of what that sidewalk operation looks like.
[59:25] So it was always just to stay with food trucks.
[59:28] The challenge is when you do look in the code, you know, they reference food truck and
[59:32] sidewalk vendors, sometimes in the same sentence.
[59:36] So we want to just be very clear that language that I think talked about on page 11 to 13 that
[59:41] we added was just very clear that this does not pertain to sidewalk vendors.
[59:45] So there's nothing that we're doing in this legislation that addresses a sidewalk, only the food trucks, and the go is to hopefully come back and look at
[59:54] Licenses working with the license collector because she has brought up her concerns of just
[1:00:00] The process that some food truck and sidewalk vendors have to go through and do a whole look at a revision of our food truck code to just make it more clear.
[1:00:11] But licensing is a little different from the operation. So we didn't want to touch the licensee aspect and to we clear some of the red tape for the food truck to be able to operate, which the sidewalk vendors don't have the actual red tape.
[1:00:24] And I think Miss Sandy said within the city, we only have actually like three sidewalk vendors that actually licensed with the city.
[1:00:30] Properly licensed.
[1:00:32] No, if you see it at a festival, then pushing them down the street.
[1:00:34] You know, maybe to festival invited them.
[1:00:37] But we actually have three properly licensed.
[1:00:38] So I want to stay away from the sidewalk and just continue to focus on what we originally was focused on with the food truck and kind of red tape for that.
[1:00:46] Okay, perfect.
[1:00:46] I think that clarity is really important.
[1:00:48] So I appreciate you walking us through that and no further questions.
[1:00:51] Thank you for your partnership.
[1:00:52] Thank you, Alderman, Vice Chair Browning.
[1:00:58] Thank you, Alderman Aldridge.
[1:01:00] And I know a lot of work has gone into this bill for quite some time.
[1:01:04] And I appreciate everyone who's given their time and effort into improving this bill to the working group and
[1:01:10] everyone else who is just, but their feedback into this.
[1:01:15] I have a few questions about the bill.
[1:01:18] I'll start with the Streets Department is in charge of permitting and investigating evaluations.
[1:01:26] Any reason why it's the Streets Department and not the health department, which usually would do inspections of our food establishments?
[1:01:35] So we continued on with the Streets Department because this was even though the health department does do like making sure if, you know,
[1:01:44] They got to get their food certification because they sell food.
[1:01:47] We stuck with the streets department because they have more ongoing conversations and interactions
[1:01:52] with the street vendors. So outside of the health department just certify them saying that
[1:01:56] their food is safe. A lot of times are from what I heard from the first and from the individuals
[1:02:01] who are actually doing it, they're in more communication with the streets department to make sure
[1:02:06] that they are aligned in the right location, make sure that they know where they're able to
[1:02:10] And there's more of a relationship already established
[1:02:14] between our streets department,
[1:02:15] which Miss Sandy works with our food trucks.
[1:02:17] I mean, she probably can tell you about 80% of everybody
[1:02:21] on that list just off the top of her head.
[1:02:23] And the food association works very close with the streets.
[1:02:27] So since that relationship was already there,
[1:02:29] we thought it would be smart to live
[1:02:30] in the street department instead of health department.
[1:02:33] So a street department currently processes these,
[1:02:36] I guess, permits right now.
[1:02:38] Yes, they process them, they do have to get a license from the license collector, they do have to get some from the health department so that they could be able to serve the food, they even have to go to the fire department to get a fire suppression, so I mean there's there's several different groups that touches food trucks, but they're more hands on with the streets department who they also have to get like a 500 license to be able to operate on our streets and then realize that they can't operate anywhere but in a select area.
[1:03:05] Okay, for the parks department, I noticed that there's some language in here about that food trucks can operate in city parks.
[1:03:17] Is that only parks with roads that go through them, like forest park, Toronto Ed, there's a few others, or would people be able to pull up on the street next to any park.
[1:03:28] So, the park's department language was already in there.
[1:03:31] Only thing we, they had language style park already, on the red line version, on page, on our view, on page 5, since Parks was mentioned already in the code.
[1:03:44] We just end up putting that the city park of Vending Market Show, meaning any area maintained by the Parks Department of Recreation and Forestry.
[1:03:51] So, they cannot, apparently, pull up to an in a park, so they can't just pull up in a foul and park, which have roads.
[1:03:58] unless they actually coordinate with the streets department.
[1:04:02] So the current ordinance already mentioned like Parks,
[1:04:06] but it wasn't clear, so we just wanted to find Parks and Commissioner Hageman was at our working group last year and said that if a food truck wanted to vending a park that they would have to reach out to the park but they would have to go to the park to do that but we did not change anything besides just defining what Parks meant with city parks.
[1:04:25] So, the Parks Department would still have authority to dictate what happens in each park.
[1:04:32] Correct.
[1:04:33] So, no different than that.
[1:04:35] So, Fairgrounds and other things would still be off limits in what Parks Department says.
[1:04:40] So, only park that is not off limits is Tower Grove because they're like a private park,
[1:04:44] may take them by the city, but that would be the only park or maybe Forest Park because we don't own that.
[1:04:49] But any citywide park is not a vending area unless they work with a Parks Department.
[1:04:55] or if they're having a special event in that park and get the green light on their special event
[1:04:59] application to be able to end there.
[1:05:01] Yeah, I think my concern is really geared around noise.
[1:05:06] Food trucks often operate generators that produce quite a lot of noise and so if they're
[1:05:11] rolling up in a park, I mean, I know I enjoy Forest Park, which we do own Forest Park and
[1:05:18] I would not want Jefferson Lake to suddenly have four food trucks next to it running
[1:05:25] generators when people are out there to kind of enjoy nature.
[1:05:29] Yeah, I think, yeah, I mean, as you know, I think Forest Park is what ran by Forest Park Foundation,
[1:05:34] so like we can't public private partnership with the city on city.
[1:05:37] Yeah, so we're not, uh, we're not, I'll say we're not allowing food trucks and Forest Park or
[1:05:43] Tower Go Park or any park outside of Tower Go Park already have agreement with the city, but this
[1:05:49] not allow for food trucks to pull up in the parks. It's not in the ordinance. And, you know,
[1:05:55] I would suggest maybe talking to Mr. Scott, who's a president of the Food Truck Association,
[1:06:01] you know, some do have generators, but a lot of the trucks are also moving away from generators.
[1:06:05] I think that's a little bit of a, I wouldn't say a myth, but that all food trucks make a bunch of
[1:06:12] noise when all of them don't necessarily all have generators. They are changing the way that
[1:06:18] But a lot of those food trucks are operating a go away from the generators.
[1:06:23] And speaking of noise, I think that's an important question to ask if there's anything
[1:06:28] having to do with the permitting and reviewing what kind of power generation these food trucks
[1:06:34] use.
[1:06:35] I've had issues in the ward about where a food truck is parked on private property operating
[1:06:41] with the permission of that private property, but nearby neighbors have to deal with noise
[1:06:45] and exhaust all day, that ends up creating
[1:06:49] a little bit of a noise complaint.
[1:06:52] So I'd be interested in maybe if we future tweak this,
[1:06:55] making sure that we review how things are powered
[1:06:58] so that we're making sure that we're not only good
[1:07:00] for the environment, but also just the noise pollution
[1:07:03] in our city.
[1:07:04] Then we'll probably be in the build that
[1:07:07] talk about the licensees.
[1:07:09] When you talk about the street department
[1:07:10] and going out to investigate the truck to see,
[1:07:14] if it makes a bunch of noise or not, that would be kind of in that maybe a future piece of legislation
[1:07:19] that address licenses, but we don't do anything with noise outside of if it's making a lot of
[1:07:25] noise, I know we have a noise ordinance already on the book that people in kind of point two.
[1:07:30] With that? Thank you. So for the 200-foot separation, this is we just did that amendment to make it 150-200 feet.
[1:07:40] I noticed that in the bill, I'll go back to that page, I remember. But it says, comparable goods.
[1:07:48] I mean, and not the same kind of, if it's a pizza food truck, we don't want them to be parked outside of Emo's or Papajans.
[1:07:57] So it's not like, oh, they're selling food and that business sells food.
[1:08:03] It's like they're selling burgers and that business sells bread.
[1:08:07] Okay.
[1:08:10] The original bill had a fiscal note.
[1:08:13] Is there an updated fiscal note for this bill?
[1:08:16] I don't believe so, we're waiting to get back from Sandy what those e-cows that would be the only
[1:08:23] kind of fiscal impact as we're waiting to see what that would look like so she's looking to see other cities.
[1:08:29] That's what I was wondering is how much time and money this is going to take for the street department to administer this.
[1:08:35] I have concerns about the complaint system specifically.
[1:08:39] we can't even get utilities to repair their street work correctly to get an inspector out and
[1:08:46] make sure that we're having road work done correctly.
[1:08:50] So what is the capacity of the streets department to investigate complaints is it just
[1:08:53] going to be sandy looking into these or who in the street department will be?
[1:08:57] No, there's other folks that work.
[1:08:59] They have like a food truck team that they not only help with the licensees but they also
[1:09:07] to help the food trucks to be able to operate.
[1:09:08] I think they're like a team of maybe five to six people.
[1:09:13] But of course, they're not just focused on food trucks.
[1:09:14] They do a lot of stuff.
[1:09:15] If you do have language that you think would make sense
[1:09:18] with the complaint, definitely open to it.
[1:09:21] And I hear you, I think that's one of the struggles
[1:09:24] of every piece of bill that we pass is enforcement
[1:09:27] with every city worker being under staff, underpaid,
[1:09:32] is making sure that it actually can be a force.
[1:09:34] but we did want to make sure there was a mechanism
[1:09:36] and not just keep it open.
[1:09:38] So if there is issues going on,
[1:09:40] at least there's a track record, one through CSV,
[1:09:42] and then we know as Alders,
[1:09:44] if those aren't being answered,
[1:09:45] which happens with forced free and streets and others,
[1:09:48] that we kind of be the middle person
[1:09:49] to follow directly up with the streets department
[1:09:51] if somebody in the ward is having concerns,
[1:09:56] which I think in this one,
[1:09:58] since you understand it's left out,
[1:10:00] so you probably won't have to worry about that part.
[1:10:02] Yeah, and I want to address that because when this bill was brought, I think I was given about four locations to check out in the Central West End about a week and a half ago.
[1:10:15] I immediately went and started contacting these areas and they're the different business districts and everything that these existed in trying to talk to people trying to see if they would be okay with that.
[1:10:28] And to my regret, we weren't able to identify any four of those districts as a possible place.
[1:10:36] Mainly due to issues like it was private property that, you know, for instance,
[1:10:41] the medical school operates their own food truck row, but it's private property.
[1:10:45] And so they run their own permitting that over in the grove, we have a, you know,
[1:10:51] commercial strip that is full of restaurants and they all pay into a local tax for a community
[1:10:57] improvement district, and they had a lot of concerns about competing businesses coming in
[1:11:01] that wouldn't necessarily be subject to that tax, similar way over on Euclid in the
[1:11:05] central West End.
[1:11:07] So I say to my regret because I do enjoy food trucks.
[1:11:10] I think St. Louis does too.
[1:11:12] I think we have some of the best food in the country, and a lot of those places that I enjoy
[1:11:16] as brick and mortar stores now.
[1:11:18] I remember starting as food trucks, so I know that there's that necessary first level
[1:11:25] people kind of need to get into. That being said, I think food trucks also pose different
[1:11:31] challenges that brick and mortar locations don't. I mentioned noise in generators. I think
[1:11:38] the proximity to brick and mortar stores has been addressed in this bill when I appreciate that.
[1:11:44] Trash production is a concern. Are the commercial corridors or these vending districts going to
[1:11:50] receive extra trash receptacles and are there's going to be put on like a pick-up schedule
[1:11:56] in order to make sure that the trash that these food trucks generate is being deposited
[1:12:03] correctly.
[1:12:04] Yes, so that is a lease within the area that I have with downtown.
[1:12:08] So the market street, there's already a took a drive, there's already several trash bins
[1:12:14] either in city gardens or the park right across the street or also further up at 1520 outside
[1:12:20] a health department that we're looking to add as well as close to the soccer stadium that is
[1:12:27] in Cherokee, they have several trash bins. That is something that we will look into to
[1:12:32] see if the alters within those words, so the one in Grant Arts Center, through the executive
[1:12:37] director of support of that location as well as all the women keys, if that there can be some
[1:12:42] maybe partnership either to ward capital to put a few more trash bins out there. But I will say
[1:12:47] Because I do, you know, one thing that I don't want the conversation to be focused on
[1:12:52] and not saying that you're doing it all the men is kind of the, you know, there's
[1:12:57] challenges with food trucks.
[1:12:59] I would say there's challenges with brick and mortar with noise as well, and being too loud.
[1:13:04] And, you know, sometimes people going outside with their food and dumping them, food trucks
[1:13:09] would not, you know, it's, and I've learned a lot over this last year to talk with Ms. Scott.
[1:13:13] they don't want to leave a bad reputation in these areas because of them they know they want
[1:13:17] to be allowed to come back or people would not want them to be back. So, you know, trash was
[1:13:22] one of the conversations that we talked about where sometimes brick and or food trucks have
[1:13:26] two people driving and cooking, where somebody in the food truck will also like go out before they
[1:13:31] leave and before they get there to pick up trash because they're reputation and just like a brick
[1:13:35] and mortar is a business. The food trucks are business too. So, they're aware that a lot of times
[1:13:42] what I heard they go out personally and pick up
[1:13:43] addresses people drop it.
[1:13:45] But we are looking at some partnership of
[1:13:47] a work capital, maybe install more mainly
[1:13:50] of the grand center area.
[1:13:52] Yeah, I think that's just an important thing to address
[1:13:54] as somebody who likes to do neighborhood trash pickups
[1:13:57] and other things we often notice where the trash is coming from.
[1:14:01] And I'm not saying it is coming from the food trucks,
[1:14:03] I think it comes from a variety of source, a lot of gas stations.
[1:14:07] But I think there is a concern about making sure
[1:14:10] that we just have the receiving end of that,
[1:14:12] making sure the crash has been picked up properly.
[1:14:17] I don't have any more questions at this time.
[1:14:20] I do agree with the overall goal of this bill.
[1:14:23] I do question the urgency of passing it this session.
[1:14:26] We did receive the committee's substitute at 5.48 PM last night.
[1:14:31] We had, we just suspended the rules to introduce it.
[1:14:34] The committee's substitute language is not online,
[1:14:37] So only others and apparently the working group have had a chance to read this new bill through and it's a
[1:14:45] Substantially different bill from the previous version. It's not just like an update, which I think we've done with some other bills. There's there's a lot to get through here
[1:14:54] It's and I I think it's a very a lot of moving parts. It's a very technical operation that I want to make sure we get everything
[1:15:00] Right. So if we're going to come back next session and polish this up, I'd prefer to wait to do it at that point. I agree with the spirit of this bill. I just don't see the urgency to pass it this session on this timeline.
[1:15:14] But I do appreciate the work going into it. And I'd like to continue to work in on it because I think this is important. I do really think food trucks are a vital part of our food economy.
[1:15:23] And I'd really like to get this right because I do think this benefits our city when we do get it right.
[1:15:38] Thank you, Alderman. I have some questions as well.
[1:15:44] So first thing, walk us through the permitting process.
[1:15:47] So Sam, a food truck that doesn't have a license isn't permanent at all.
[1:15:51] Can you tell me a little bit about how they would approach this and kind of changes that are in place if this bill moves?
[1:15:57] Yes, so this bill, which doesn't address permitting process.
[1:16:00] I want to be clear.
[1:16:01] I walk you through it, but the permitting process and kind of licensing is the only thing
[1:16:06] that's added new is that the decal will now be added so that they can help with the
[1:16:09] length system.
[1:16:11] But the licensees and recently the license collected just created a checklist for food trucks
[1:16:19] and sidewalk vendors in no before you get your business license.
[1:16:23] You have to go through this department, which is the health department.
[1:16:26] you have to go to the streets apartment and get your street license to be able to
[1:16:30] event on the street and I think it's the fire department or is it fire department for
[1:16:36] the fire suppression? Yes, so they have to get three different licensees before they actually
[1:16:43] and pay fees before they actually can get their business license and this has been the
[1:16:56] license collector. Um, so she has recently did a check off list. So when people want to get a food truck, uh, which, again, the rules is different for sidewalk. If they want to get those licensees that they have to go through a, uh, the proper departments to be able to get that.
[1:17:13] Okay. I'm seeing the, uh, a website where it goes through the various different things.
[1:17:20] It's interestingly enough, this is an Australian about this bill, but it says stationary sidewalk
[1:17:23] vendor permits are issued by the parks department.
[1:17:26] I think you said they were issued by the streets.
[1:17:27] We're not parks, sidewalks of vendors is not food truck.
[1:17:31] Okay.
[1:17:31] Yep.
[1:17:32] I understand it.
[1:17:33] I think one of the things that.
[1:17:37] So I heard it is streets.
[1:17:38] Maybe it's not updated on the website.
[1:17:40] Right.
[1:17:40] I think one of the things that I started with with this committee is that so many of the things that
[1:17:47] right tape are less necessarily about what it says in the bill and more about how the person
[1:17:52] going to get this license or this permit interacts with the city and the process and the steps
[1:17:59] in the checklist and all of that being kind of opaque. So, you know, if this bill passes,
[1:18:05] I would love to work with you and the license collector and the streets department and make that
[1:18:10] that checklist easy to follow in the website, match the checklist, match the bill, all of those things.
[1:18:14] I think it's possibly really the work of this committee more so than any legislation we pass.
[1:18:20] I will take you up on that, because yes, like I say during this process, even though we're not touching,
[1:18:26] like I say the licensing aspect of it, it has been very interesting.
[1:18:31] Once they get their licenses, the lack of operations where they can go is what we're trying to make successful
[1:18:37] so that people actually can stay in the city of St. Louis talk with some food trucks.
[1:18:40] like, yeah, process in the city is just so jacked up, I get my license and then I can't go anywhere
[1:18:45] so I just go to the county. So we wanted to give more options so that they can feel successful,
[1:18:51] but there is a go to come back and look at that licensees for food trucks and sidewalks
[1:18:57] and to make sure that all these different departments are kind of on the same page. That's not
[1:19:02] pertain to this bill, but I will say the license collectors also have been frustrated with.
[1:19:07] with the hurdles and hoops that of people have to go through and then get a license and end
[1:19:17] of figuring out maybe they didn't have the suppression.
[1:19:19] So she is changing her internal process to be able to make sure that it all flows together,
[1:19:25] but that's more on the that's before they get it, which we definitely need to address and change
[1:19:29] that too.
[1:19:30] Okay. Great. So you mentioned the streets department would be investigating any planes.
[1:19:39] Yes, ma'am. The police department handles noise violations. Do you see that being just like
[1:19:44] as Alderman Browning asked, like a separate call or would that be through the streets department as well?
[1:19:50] I'll could see it being through if there's a noise violation that also, which we're working with
[1:19:55] the SB to add that and the food truck that the noise violation also can be part of that
[1:20:01] complaint process, which is street department, could investigate or the police department,
[1:20:06] but it would be flagged with NCSV.
[1:20:14] When you all put together the different districts and it's 200 foot distance from a brick
[1:20:19] and mortar, does that limit any of those districts from being applicable in terms of, you
[1:20:29] So the language that's in there that says there are 200 feet, but the districts is not, there's kind of like a exemption for the district.
[1:20:37] So, and within looking at all the districts, I guess they're not within the range. I think the one that maybe the closest is right outside of Alaw, which may be close to Schlaffley, but it's kind of around the corner front.
[1:20:49] But the ones on Cherokee Street under the Aldo woman and their seat has been working in partnership of these patients.
[1:20:56] That 200 feet, well, the 150 feet was already in there.
[1:20:59] We extended it to 200 because of restaurant, but there's also language in there that say,
[1:21:04] if a restaurant would want a food truck to be outside of the restaurant that can't have room permission,
[1:21:10] but we were strategic in making sure where the districts are that there's kind of a lack of food opportunity.
[1:21:18] So the one from Grand Center, I think the biggest one that they brought up is there's not so much food
[1:21:25] but at Compton in Washington, there may be, they serve food, but they don't serve food, I think, after like eight o'clock.
[1:21:33] But we make sure that we put language that there's almost like an exemption for these districts,
[1:21:37] but we kept them far enough away from brick and mortar as well.
[1:21:42] Okay, so just to make sure I understand correctly, if you are a food truck, you can operate in these districts.
[1:21:47] only. Unless you have written permission to operate somewhere else. Unless if a brick and mortar
[1:21:55] because some brick and mortar is half-food trucks. So if they're not open on Sunday, a food truck
[1:22:02] could operate outside a brick and mortar with written permission. But not outside of these
[1:22:07] districts or yes outside of these districts. Only in the districts but they can operate outside
[1:22:12] of a brick and mortar if they got written permission from the brick and mortar.
[1:22:17] What if there's more than brick and one brick and mortar like on South Korean or something
[1:22:20] when you have all of these in a row and they're not going to be 200 feet from the next or neighbor.
[1:22:28] That was language.
[1:22:30] We got from the, uh, kind of the restaurant association so that again the thought was if you have a the thought behind it is there's some brick and orders a half food trucks and they may not be open on a Sunday, um, but they may want to open up their food truck on a Sunday, but what this would do is not allow them to have their own food truck outside of their own restaurant because of that, uh, foot distance. So we want to also take into account if a kitchen is closed for the restaurant, but if they have a food truck,
[1:22:59] that they can still operate their own food truck outside of the restaurant.
[1:23:03] We don't see it as a way for a restaurant or a food truck to pull up on Washington and say,
[1:23:11] hey, can I have my food truck here, but that thought was to make sure that restaurants
[1:23:14] that already have a brick and mortar, that may not open up their brick and mortar,
[1:23:18] can still be able to open up, maybe their food truck outside of the restaurant.
[1:23:23] But does it say that in the bill?
[1:23:26] This is what written permission from the brick and mortar.
[1:23:28] But it doesn't say that it would be their food truck.
[1:23:32] No.
[1:23:34] So then, what they have, so then if there's another restaurant next door, but they have
[1:23:38] what person from the brick and mortar and front of them, does that supersede that?
[1:23:41] That could, that could have, if a food truck pull-up outside or if a, if I'm a, let me
[1:23:48] say, let me figure it out this way.
[1:23:50] If a restaurant gave a food truck permission, the way that the language reads, it would
[1:23:54] allow for that food truck pull up there we can tighten it and say only from that brick and
[1:23:59] mortar but again that that goal was to make sure that the brick and mortar who has food trucks
[1:24:04] to several of them have food trucks if they need to operate their food truck outside of the restaurant
[1:24:08] for what ever reason that they were able to do that. I think that might need some more clarity
[1:24:15] in the bill because it right now would be two things could be true at once so that it could
[1:24:20] operate and then it could operate and who's making that decision for whether or not they can.
[1:24:25] And who's reviewing that, you know, written policy, I guess I'd like to see more clarification
[1:24:30] around that.
[1:24:33] I sent you a bunch of questions that really is morning and a lot of them you've done a great
[1:24:36] job of answering.
[1:24:37] You've already mentioned that you have the support of all the alderman in the districts that
[1:24:41] are mentioned in the bill.
[1:24:44] It talks about LRA property exceptions.
[1:24:47] This is possibly something that's already existing and I just thought it.
[1:24:51] You speak a little bit about that.
[1:24:52] It was already existing in the bill, so that was just already in the language.
[1:24:59] And we didn't change stuff that was existing in the code for this or on the cell.
[1:25:03] Okay, so if you're like in King's way west and there's no.
[1:25:05] So that language was all dramatized and we definitely didn't want to touch that.
[1:25:09] So there was a previous ordinance that she passed with King's way west and all of that.
[1:25:13] that also had like Elere language that we didn't touch
[1:25:17] because it was already existing for a reason why she had it there.
[1:25:20] But even in this bill, if you're in Elere a lot anywhere,
[1:25:23] you couldn't just operate there.
[1:25:25] Correct.
[1:25:26] No matter what.
[1:25:31] I think there is a just ribners
[1:25:36] error on page eight lines C.
[1:25:41] It says public way.
[1:25:43] I'm guessing that means public right of way.
[1:25:47] I would also send me a public right of way when I looked at it and thank you just asking
[1:25:52] you ahead of time.
[1:25:52] That was something that was also already in the legislation code,
[1:25:59] so yeah, that was something
[1:26:00] that existed before any changes and we didn't change that line at all from what we're
[1:26:06] doing.
[1:26:06] OK, I probably should say public right up way though.
[1:26:12] So if we could, Madam Clerk, just note that as a script
[1:26:18] nurse error that we're cleaning up here, page eight line.
[1:26:23] Is it page eight?
[1:26:27] I looked it up, but I'll think it's page eight.
[1:26:31] What you mean?
[1:26:31] I'll find it, and make sure we get it for the clerk that page
[1:26:36] that it's on.
[1:26:38] We already talked about the streets department maintaining the decals, let's see.
[1:26:49] And with the parks department, I was able to talk to them just briefly about this bill,
[1:26:54] and they said that their main was making sure that they would have the ability to limit
[1:27:05] who's in the parks, and I know that there's a specific section here, letting them set their
[1:27:11] parameters, because it sounds like they would need to one meet the park
[1:27:19] curfew, which is a concern of mine, because this allows to 1 a.m. or 11 p.m.
[1:27:24] depending, and the park curfew to mostly 10 p.m. but that would be something that
[1:27:29] they would work out if you're going to go into a park.
[1:27:31] Yes, they would go into the park, they would have to get a vision from the park's
[1:27:35] apartment. Okay. And the park's apartment sounds like they would be adding
[1:27:40] applying copy of the business license, which is part of this, with having a decal.
[1:27:46] They're saying they want to $500, we find a bull security deposit, which isn't part
[1:27:50] of this, but could be part of the thing that they said.
[1:27:52] Yeah, that would be their own policy set.
[1:27:55] And which I don't know if that's like when all there's do waivers for people, for parks, if
[1:28:00] that's one of the things that could be waived, but that's their own process that they
[1:28:04] usually not the security deposit, sometimes you can waive the permit fee, but not the security
[1:28:09] deposit within a park. And then you already have in here that the there would be a certificate
[1:28:16] of insurance. Yes. And is that that's something that is new? That's new. Okay. I think that's a good
[1:28:21] idea. And naming the city as an additionally insured. Yes. Okay.
[1:28:29] Okay. I think those are the majority
[1:28:31] of my questions. I have some just concerns about process. But I don't know that the process
[1:28:39] is necessarily addressed here.
[1:28:41] This is more about the locations.
[1:28:43] This is more the operations after the process,
[1:28:46] is something that needs to definitely be addressed.
[1:28:49] Some of you like, you know,
[1:28:51] picking your brain and hanging out with the God child
[1:28:54] to figure this out, because it is very,
[1:28:57] it's very mushed together when you have sidewalks and streets.
[1:29:00] But this is kind of the after the process.
[1:29:03] This is the operations art,
[1:29:04] so that they can operate
[1:29:07] And not have that confusion, which you can almost say is kind of part of the process on the operations because a lot of food trucks have said it's just very unclear where they can operate.
[1:29:17] So we want to clear least a little bit of the process on the operations and make it more clear.
[1:29:22] And I think can eventually come back and address some of the processes for the licenses, which a lot of them are already licensed.
[1:29:29] we want more and more to be licensed. But since we have a large variety of food truck already licensed,
[1:29:34] it's like okay, let's cut the red tape for them to be able to operate and then come on the back end
[1:29:40] to start to have those conversations, which the licensed collector is all in on of what that looks
[1:29:45] like with all various departments to make that process a better flowing process. I appreciate that. I
[1:29:52] think that is like I said when in talking with different organizations about this committee and the
[1:29:58] that should have.
[1:30:00] Go much of it was just the process as unclear, you know, not necessarily something is legal or illegal, but I do see that this piece is around the operation locations.
[1:30:11] I would, I'm not, I'm not prepared at this moment to make an amendment on the 150 200 foot. I think that's very confusing though, and I would like to do you think you would be interested in having an amendment on Friday.
[1:30:22] Oh yeah, so the 200 feet, I think, is this best
[1:30:26] Jan, maybe me, you and the association can talk
[1:30:29] definitely open to what that could looks like.
[1:30:32] It sounds like it's more of maybe the written
[1:30:34] content part, but yes, I'm open to working with you to
[1:30:38] figure out what that could look like Friday.
[1:30:40] Thank you. I just find that very confusing with,
[1:30:42] you know, if you have written permission from one business
[1:30:44] outside of the district, but then you're next to another
[1:30:46] business, how that could kind of overlap in terms of what's correct and for the enforcement
[1:30:55] piece, I can imagine on the back end that I'm being very confused.
[1:30:58] And maybe I'm gonna have, if it's okay, because she'd been like my partner crime on this,
[1:31:01] I'm gonna have Janika come up to kind of explaining that once, maybe I'm not, uh, okay.
[1:31:05] Yeah, I appreciate that.
[1:31:06] Thank you.
[1:31:12] Ms. Hayden, if you could introduce yourself for the record, and please proceed.
[1:31:15] I'm Janika Hayden, I'm a policy solution for President Green.
[1:31:17] He has your question again all the way because I heard you, I just don't think all the way.
[1:31:21] I appreciate that.
[1:31:23] So I am confused about the, there's the districts that, yes, vendors are allowed to operate.
[1:31:31] Those are clearly specified.
[1:31:32] And then there is some information about not being able to operate within 200 feet of an existing brick and mortar, unless you have permission.
[1:31:42] So, please tell me a page you're looking at, I'm sorry.
[1:31:45] Here's that amendment.
[1:31:47] 13.
[1:31:53] Page 13.
[1:31:55] Line 12.
[1:31:57] So, if you are a,
[1:32:05] no license vendor, so I'll conduct
[1:32:07] a vending business, then 150 feet.
[1:32:10] You know, except when operating within a designated
[1:32:13] vending market, which we already said,
[1:32:19] but, you know,
[1:32:19] explain, yes.
[1:32:21] I'm going to explain to you.
[1:32:22] So, the 150 feet, that's now 200, that language existed prior to the passage.
[1:32:31] We wanted to preserve that to make sure brick and mortar had some autonomy in the situation,
[1:32:38] but we tried to carve the districts in a way that weren't really near restaurants.
[1:32:44] So if we went through the districts that are in the bill,
[1:32:47] the only one that would raise the insurance from restaurants would be Cherokee.
[1:32:52] Now, we talk to the older woman, they talk to the city, there's restaurants up and down
[1:32:57] Cherokee, but Cherokee said, as if I'm hoping I'm not mischaracterizing, they're not
[1:33:04] so much concerned about food trucks operating around the Cherokee area.
[1:33:10] So we tried to make, tried to make kind of an exemption for Cherokee, because there are
[1:33:17] restaurants up and down the commercial corridor Cherokee, but it's pretty general consensus
[1:33:22] is that we want that area to be a food truck market,
[1:33:25] so that language after...
[1:33:28] Right, so that's as accepting when operating
[1:33:30] within a designated bending market.
[1:33:32] That is not on a principle,
[1:33:33] I'll tell you, locate on that share history.
[1:33:36] Okay, so there is no written permit.
[1:33:38] There is no written permit in language.
[1:33:41] I'm not seeing that, maybe I think the ultimate is spoke,
[1:33:45] but if a brick and mortar did have their own food truck,
[1:33:47] they can prop it out in front of their brick and mortar,
[1:33:49] that's no problem.
[1:33:50] That doesn't really affect this property.
[1:33:51] What we really tried to address was vending markets designated districts and we tried to
[1:33:57] our best stay away from brick and mortar so the 150 feet is kind of moved unless there is
[1:34:03] a restaurant in the district so for instance on market street the downtown vending market,
[1:34:08] the downtown area which is a street to the 16th street there's no real restaurants on that
[1:34:15] So, yes, the 150 fee provisions there, but it wouldn't really, it wouldn't really
[1:34:22] matter because there's no restaurants on market.
[1:34:25] And that was an clear exception in the bill.
[1:34:28] So, if you have a vending district, yes, if you're in the district, it doesn't matter if
[1:34:32] there's a restaurant right next door.
[1:34:34] No, it does.
[1:34:35] It needs to be within a hundred and fifty feet if they're in the market.
[1:34:39] Not located on a principal arterial territory,
[1:34:46] territory.
[1:34:46] except
[1:34:51] for an operating within a designated
[1:34:53] vending market that is not located in civil arterial street.
[1:34:57] So, okay, so the exception is, okay,
[1:35:01] so that when it is operating on a principal arterial street,
[1:35:04] the 100, yes.
[1:35:06] But if they are operating, I'm gonna get back to the language.
[1:35:09] On a principal arterial street that is located
[1:35:11] within the local commercial office district
[1:35:13] that's a zone like per zoning,
[1:35:16] that is only applicable to Cherokee Street,
[1:35:18] downtown, that's commercial, downtown West,
[1:35:20] that's commercial, grants center, that's commercial.
[1:35:23] The only place that has that exemption is really chair-cashry.
[1:35:27] So they could prop up over there.
[1:35:29] I think the written, it's not, it's not.
[1:35:31] Can set, yeah, it's something from the past.
[1:35:33] Yes, I think so.
[1:35:34] Right, just allowing written consent
[1:35:36] of the owner manager of the property.
[1:35:38] And we don't really have that issue anymore,
[1:35:40] because they're not going to be operating citywide.
[1:35:43] We were contemplating citywide vending,
[1:35:45] but since we've had conversations with stakeholders,
[1:35:48] we narrowed it down to these districts.
[1:35:49] So it's not really applicable there.
[1:35:54] One of the things I do really like about this bill
[1:35:56] is this one year, re-up of this.
[1:36:05] I am, you know, it's interesting to see how that will work
[1:36:10] in a year from now when we're passing this kind of right
[1:36:13] before we go on break, and there's going to be an election.
[1:36:16] I assume all there mental health issues will be here
[1:36:17] to carry that bill.
[1:36:18] but is that something that the president's office is committed to caring for a
[1:36:21] word no matter or maybe that's also on the ballot too. So that's going to be an
[1:36:25] interesting time to see who does that if we do need to you'll be here on the
[1:36:30] woman. Okay. It's on me. Got it. Fair enough. Okay. Fair enough. Fair enough. Yeah, so
[1:36:37] I forgot for a bit we're all here. Yeah. I'm going to come back. Okay, shoot. We are committed
[1:36:41] to come back and we're going to legislate. But it's definitely like we're like
[1:36:43] the streets department flags it for review. Yes, I've talked to Sandy and I think
[1:36:48] to plan for right now is to see how these markets are working and see if there's stakeholder
[1:36:52] feedback, if there's anything we need to adjust, if we need to, I'm going to say this
[1:36:56] with the Food Circle Association to adjust anything. I'm hoping not, but if so, we'll need to
[1:37:02] come back. We, we made that commitment to the working group that we'll come back in a year.
[1:37:06] I appreciate that. I think that's great. I think that I could see adding, or requesting to have added
[1:37:11] the board, different areas within the first ward, but I am kind of wanting to take a second to
[1:37:18] just see how this goes. We did have a food truck parked on private property, someone recently
[1:37:22] they had, you know, all the permits, everything was right, but they had the really loud generator
[1:37:26] and it caused, you know, a week and a half worth of...
[1:37:30] Police calls, really angry neighbors, really intense. And then they changed it, which was great. But that is something that changed the generator. They changed it. They changed it to a different power source. Yeah, I think they worked with the brick and mortar that was on the property to use their power, which worked a lot better because that became a huge huge issue for the neighborhood. So okay. Does anyone have any further questions? Any older men in the audience of any questions? Okay.
[1:37:57] Okay, Alderman, Alder, you're recognized to close.
[1:38:01] Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.
[1:38:02] Members of the committee.
[1:38:04] First, I do again, I want to thank the working group.
[1:38:06] This has been an ongoing conversation for the last kind of year and a half.
[1:38:12] I'll be remiss to not think, you know, every individual, so I just don't miss anybody.
[1:38:16] I won't say names, but it has been important to kind of have these stakeholders.
[1:38:21] And then what I've learned, you can't always have every stakeholder,
[1:38:25] we try our best to get as many as possible.
[1:38:29] Thank my colleagues for the one to also add
[1:38:32] its location to these vending districts.
[1:38:36] Definitely looking forward to working with you,
[1:38:38] all the women's switzer on the licensing part
[1:38:40] because when you look at the code for our food truck
[1:38:45] and our sidewalk vendors which all wrapped into one
[1:38:47] and I want to be very clear.
[1:38:49] We are not touching sidewalk fish cart,
[1:38:52] they still call them. But sidewalk vendors were only touching the food vendors. It is a very
[1:38:58] complicated code because this is one code that's probably been changed like 20, 23 times just from
[1:39:07] previous orders doing changes here, tweaks there and tweaks there. So we do plan to revise the whole
[1:39:13] code. But I think this is a huge step forward to right now is kind of the Wild Wild West for
[1:39:19] food trucks and they can't operate, understand some concerns of like, let's wait, but I think
[1:39:27] you know, a lot of food trucks are really asking for guidance for the city of St. Louis
[1:39:32] of, or it's been on the books that's not really either supporting them to be financially
[1:39:38] successful in being a food truck because I can't operate anywhere or don't know where to operate.
[1:39:42] So I think what we're trying to do is be very clear and lay out where these areas of these vending
[1:39:48] food markets can be. Hopefully there will be more added. I know the all women from the
[1:39:52] 12th had a location that she wanted. Hopefully we'll get to the floor, but also I keep
[1:39:56] the invitation open for any colleagues that want to add some markets on the floor, but I think
[1:40:01] this is a good first step with a lot of feedback from neighborhood associations, a lot of
[1:40:07] seeds, stakeholders from the food truck association as well as the restaurant association. It has been
[1:40:17] year and a half, there's been kind of these, you know,
[1:40:21] pitting food trucks and brick and mortar is like kind of a
[1:40:23] against each other.
[1:40:24] Instead of trying to figure out how do we all in the city
[1:40:27] as St. Louis succeed together, instead of trying to put
[1:40:31] two sides against each other, so to have the restaurant and the
[1:40:34] food truck on the same board, on this piece of
[1:40:36] legislation is a historic moment, and I appreciate
[1:40:39] everyone again who's been at the table.
[1:40:42] You know, there's probably never enough time to get
[1:40:43] legislation perfect, but I do think we got it to a spot
[1:40:47] that is a really good spot to help cut some red tape so that the operations can be a little bit more clear.
[1:40:53] And you have my commitment, God willing, that I'll be back as well as a president be back and
[1:40:58] all the women from the six is back because I know she cares about food truck too that we all can
[1:41:03] work together to get this done to address the licensees aspect of it because I know this is extremely important.
[1:41:10] So with that, thank everybody for the long hearing and the questions and our expert do pass recommendation
[1:41:15] and a four bill 152 committee substitute as amended.
[1:41:19] Thank you so much, Alderman.
[1:41:21] I appreciate it.
[1:41:22] I agree we've had quite a robust discussion here
[1:41:25] and it sounds like lots of discussion has happened in the past
[1:41:28] and in more still to come, I'm sure.
[1:41:32] So with that, I will entertain a motion for a due pass recommendation
[1:41:35] of board bill number 152 committee substitute as amended.
[1:41:39] I move that we pass board bill 152 or committee substitute
[1:41:44] for Board Bill 152 out of this committee
[1:41:46] with the due pass recommendation.
[1:41:49] Okay, okay.
[1:41:49] Second.
[1:41:50] All right.
[1:41:50] We're going to move by the Alderman
[1:41:52] from the 6th ward.
[1:41:53] Seconded by the Alderman from the 8th
[1:41:55] that we pass Board Bill 152 committee
[1:41:57] substitute as amended
[1:41:58] with the due pass recommendation.
[1:42:00] Madam Clerk, please call the roll.
[1:42:02] Autumn in the Ryan.
[1:42:04] Five.
[1:42:06] Autumn in Brownie.
[1:42:08] No.
[1:42:10] Vice Chair for the last case.
[1:42:11] I.
[1:42:14] Autumn and Audrey.
[1:42:16] I.
[1:42:18] Autumn and Audrey.
[1:42:20] I.
[1:42:21] Chair.
[1:42:22] Chair Schweizer.
[1:42:25] Five.
[1:42:25] I vote.
[1:42:26] One.
[1:42:26] You buy your vote.
[1:42:28] You have to stay in the motion of the Alder one in from the six for it.
[1:42:32] And pass board bill 152 committee substitute as amended out of committee with a due pass recommendation.
[1:42:37] Thank you, Alderman.
[1:42:38] We have no resolutions for review, no committee discussions,
[1:42:42] battle clerk, do we have any written testimony?
[1:42:45] We have them.
[1:42:46] Any announcements from members of the committee?
[1:42:50] Hearing none, all members were present today,
[1:42:52] so we have no excused members,
[1:42:54] and with that, I will entertain a motion to adjourn.
[1:42:57] Second.
[1:42:58] All those in favor, signify by saying aye.
[1:43:01] Who might the motion?
[1:43:02] Aldermen from the 9th, may the motion seconded by the Aldermen from the 14th,
[1:43:05] all of our favorite, and we are adjourned. Thank you.