Glenwood Adjusting Rates For Mobile Food Vendors

Food trucks were on the menu again for the Glenwood City Council last week.

Food trucks have been a topic of on-and-off discussion for the city council over the past five years. The council’s latest action amends the fee structure to the city’s existing ordinance for mobile food vendors.

Under the ordinance adopted in 2022, the annual application fee for a mobile food vendor license was $25. If the license was approved after a background check and inspection by the city’s fire chief / code enforcement officer, the vendor was given the option of paying $200 for a six-month license or $300 for 12 months. The motion passed last week increases the application fee to $50, but reduces the annual license rate to $125 and provides an option for a $25 daily license. The six-month license will no longer be an option.

The adoption of a daily rate was made after the council heard a request from Keg Creek Brewing Co. owner Jeni Kirsch. She told council members in May that not having a daily rate available made it cost-prohibitive for food truck owners to come to Glenwood. Kirsch said the brewery would like to have food trucks come to the business occasionally and offer patrons a dining option not normally available in Glenwood.

Kirsch said having a food truck on site is beneficial for the brewery because of the additional traffic it generates.

Council members Christina Duran and Natalie McEwen researched rates some other Iowa communities are charging food truck vendors and came up with the recommendations approved last week.

“This is inline with similar size communities in our area (including Malvern) and seems like a reasonable fee to pay by a business owner,” Duran stated in an e-mail communication to Mayor Angie Winquist and city administrative staff. “We also feel this sends a message to food truck businesses that Glenwood is open for business but not at the expense of our local taxpayers.”

Most of the discussion during a council committee meeting prior to last week’s vote centered on the application fee. Duran and fellow council members Mike Lines and Donnie Kates said they want to make sure the fee covers the time it takes for Glenwood Fire Chief Matt Gray to inspect the food truck and for city hall administrative staff to process the license application.

Prior to approving the change in rates, the council did hear concerns about food trucks from McDonald’s restaurant owner Aaron Smith.

“I want to make sure that we are protecting the brick and mortar businesses that are here,” Smith said. “That money that’s generated by food trucks leaves this town, it does not stay here.”

Smith noted that his business provides employment for local residents and has a positive financial impact on the Glenwood community.

“My money goes to Glenwood State Bank, then my money goes to my employees, which pays their utilities, pays their rent,” he said. “The impact that our business has is significant in the community. When we’re talking about food trucks, that money leaves town the second it’s spent here. Does it provide variety to our community for different products? Yes, but from a financial impact, it’s a negative impact.”
Smith also advised council members to ensure out-of-town vendors are licensed and follow the same food safety protocol required of established restaurants in the city. He noted potential health and safety issues food trucks pose because they have no running water and utilities.

The council voted 3-0 to change the food truck rates. McEwen and council member Laurie Smithers were absent from the meeting.

Additionally, council members have broached the idea of making some other tweaks to the food truck ordinance but those changes would require an amendment or rewrite of the ordinance, which wasn’t required for changing the rates and application fee, City Administrator Mitch Kolf noted.