Cookeville Council Looking at Updating Food Truck Ordinance

Cookeville City Council will consider amending a current food truck ordinance to simplify the process for the vendors.

City Manager Mike Davidson said the amendment will eliminate several hurdles mobile food vendors currently face in the city.

“We’ve simplified the application process [by] removing some of the things we don’t require from other businesses,” Davidson said. “The old ordinance, they had to have written permission from the property owner. They still have to have written permission… but they don’t have to bring that permission to us. They just have to have that on the truck in case they’re ever inspected on site.”

Davidson said the changes will benefit food truck operators. The changes will allow vendors to have a little more freedom in choosing places to conduct their business.

“What we’re proposing is that they could draw power from the building property,” Davidson said, “as long as the private property owner is willing to allow that mobile food unit to draw power from their building.”

Davidson said the current proposal would also apply to ice cream trucks in the city but added discussions on the details will continue.

Cookeville City Council will vote on the ordinance during Thursday’s meeting beginning at 5:30 p.m.