Elwood council approves regulations of food trucks

May 7—ELWOOD — After several months of consideration, the Elwood City Council has approved passage of an ordinance to regulate food trucks within the city limits.

The Elwood council Monday voted unanimously to pass the ordinance.

The ordinance would require food truck vendors to obtain an annual license at a cost of $100. If the license is purchased after July 1, the fee would be $50.

The final version of the ordinance includes a $20 that fee would be charged for each Elwood event where a food truck vendor participates. That permit would be good for seven days.

The ordinance doesn't apply to nonprofit organizations, and a waiver has to be obtained 48 hours before an event.

A copy of the organization's nonprofit status has to be presented to the Elwood Plan Department to obtain a permit.

Vendors on public property shall provide certificates of insurance with the permit application. Minimum insurance coverage Is $1 million per occurrence and $2 million in total coverage.

Food truck vendors are required to have a permit from the Madison County Health Department at a cost of $140. Those permits expire at the end of each year.

Although council members wanted to prohibit food trucks from operating in the central business district in an effort to protect local restaurants, Councilwoman Danielle Dunnichay-Noone said at the March meeting that provision would probably not be included in any ordinance.

In other business, the council approved the purchase of a used dump truck from the Madison County Highway Department at a cost of $75,000 for the street department.

Mayor Todd Jones said the truck is equipped with a snow plow and salt spreader.

The council will also consider at the June meeting creating a four-way stop at the intersection of North D and Fifth Street and a three-way stop at North D and Seventh Street.

Follow Ken de la Bastide on Twitter @KendelaBastide, or call 765-640-4863.