Tulsa City Council Raises Questions About 'Mobile Restaurants'

By Emory Bryan, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Could mobile food vendors pose a safety risk? A Tulsa city councilor's concern is prompting some extra scrutiny from city hall.

On Tuesday, one question City Councilor Jim Mautino posed was how temporary is temporary? And is it mobile if it has wheels, but never moves?

While it's up to the county to ensure food safety, the city plans to take another look at zoning and safety standards for the businesses.

The city of Tulsa believes there are at least 100 of these mobile food vendors in Tulsa, but has discovered they can't be sure because a few operate without the proper permits or zoning. They sell everything from hot dogs, to tacos, to barbecue.

When the city started checking, it first discovered that permitted mobile food vendors don't always move.

"That was the presumption, but we're finding in many cases they're mobile vendors in permanent locations," said Jack Page, with the City of Tulsa.

That's one of the complaints of City Councilor Jim Mautino, who worries about the safety of a long term set up in a temporary space.

"We don't really have a standard for a mobile unit, or a fixed trailer, we don't have a standard as to what kind of equipment," Mautino said.

The City was investigating 33 complaints about the food trailers, but has temporarily stopped zoning enforcement while the policy is reviewed and clarified, with explanations also available in Spanish.

"What is it that we're trying to achieve is the sustainability of the neighborhoods and fair play with the competition that effectively permits and regulates the industry," Page said.

City Councilor Chris Trail, who runs a restaurant, says clarity would be good for everyone.

"There's a lot of confusion so that's why I think it's a good idea to look at the process and start over," Trail said.

Several city departments are working on what will become a checklist for city permitting and zoning. Then code enforcement will go back out and review mobile vendors to make sure they meet the new standards.