Citrus Heights City Council Approves Food Trucks On City Streets
CITRUS HEIGHTS (CBS13) - Live music and entertainment, the perfect way to spend a Friday night concert in the park, but what's a festival without the food?
"Who wouldn't prefer eating something that's local and unique versus some chain down the street that you can go to in any city in the country?" said Kevin Delano, while eating nachos at the park.
Now there's good news for vendors in Citrus Heights. After much resistance, the city council voted to allow food trucks at events and on city streets.
"It's better now for business, it's better for us, and it's better for the community," said Felipe Gama, a local vendor.
Gama has been with Azteca Street Tacos for 6 years and said it's too much work to go to an event under the old restraints, allowing vendors to only park for 1 hour.
"They would charge us so much just to be in an event, and it would only be just for a little bit of time. Those were the main restrictions," he said.
Some opposition came from brick and mortar restaurants who feared the food trucks would take away their business.
Kathilynn Carpenter with the Sunrise Market Place says that's why the council put provisions in place to protect those companies.
The city made restrictions on how many permits a food truck can get over a certain period of time.
"If you look comparatively at the community we really weren't in sync," Carpenter said.
City leaders believe true financial growth will come from these new businesses and the customers who come and spend in Citrus Heights.
"It generates extra revenue, extra sales tax revenue. It brings people here you know if you do an auto sales type of event. So absolutely it's very positive," she said.
The council lifted another barrier for business, outdoor sales. Places like the Sunrise Mall can now have auto and boat sales temporarily, but are limited to a three day period and a select number of times annually.
