Kamloops food truck East Amore.

(FACEBOOK / iNFOnews.ca)

KAMLOOPS - With food truck season just around the corner the public will get their say on when and where the specialized food vendors will be allowed in the city. 

Last year, the first year of a pilot project, trucks were allowed on private property from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. and on public property from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Proposed changes to the bylaw permitting food trucks in the downtown area could see hours on public property opened up one hour earlier to 9 a.m. on weekdays and as early as 7 a.m. on the weekends. Where food trucks are allowed could also see changes.

The proposed changes were brought to council Tuesday, April 14. Randy Lambright, the city planning and development manager, said food truck participation was sporadic last year and trucks didn't always show up for their scheduled times. Because of this the city added an additional clause to the original ammendment stating if trucks missed five consecutive permitted days in a row they could potentially have their licenses revoked without reimbursement of permit fees.

Mikey Wheeler-Johnson of Eats Amore participated in the pilot project last year. He hopes citizens and food truck owners help plead the case for food trucks at the pubic hearing.

The restranteur did admit last year to scheduling issues, and says he has been talking about it openly with the city.

"Consistancy is in everyone's best interest," Wheeler-Johnson said, adding if customers realize where food trucks will be on a regular basis, they will come.

When the pilot project was first initiated the city envisioned a free-for-all situation regarding scheduling, but Wheeler-Johnson said that a shared schedule worked quite well for the most part.

While he couldn't comment on other businesses, he can understand why the city would threaten revoking permits for food trucks who pulled no-shows. He would like to see 'without communication' added to the ammendement, pointing to the fact unforeseen circumstances could cause a truck to miss five consecutive days.

Council approved ammendments to the food truck business license, which include allowing trucks longer hours and possible punishments unscheduled no-shows.

A public hearing on the food truck bylaw is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 28 at City Hall.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Dana Reynolds at dreynolds@infonews.ca or call 250-819-6089. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

News from © iNFOnews, 2015