Othello looking at mobile vendor laws

OTHELLO - Othello's planning commission is reviewing the laws governing mobile food vendors.

The city council agreed to allow the commission to review the ordinance.

The move came after commission Chairman Larry McCourtie voiced concerns about "the growing amount of taco wagons in Othello and how it looks to the people that come from out of town not to mention the health issues," according to city records.

City Planner Darryl Piercy said the commission felt the city had too many, and they weren't appropriately placed.

"You may recall that several years ago the city took on the issue of those merchants and placed a number of restrictions on them and those are being applied," he said. "For example, there are no itinerant merchants allowed along Main Street, but they are allowed on First (Avenue) and along Broadway (Avenue)."

The ordinance requires the vendors to "comply with all laws, rules and regulations regarding food handling." They also need to have a business license and annual inspections from fire officials, according to city records.

"The planning commission is merely requesting that they have an opportunity to revisit that issue based on this historical application of the code, and to at least examine whether or not the code, as it's currently written, is working how it was intended, or if there needs to be some modification," Piercy said.

Councilmember Ken Johnson said the council tackled the issue when it was examined a few years ago.

"The city has been going through a cultural change in the last 20 years," he said."I know (the vendors) are very heavily regulated by the health department. We have some very tight restrictions too."

Johnson believes the vendors should be fully mobile, and not set up a shelter with a table, he said. He pointed out mobile food vendors are a growing trend in cities.