September 3, 2025 City Council Meeting

Announcements

• 📅 November 1st, 2025: New state legislation (Oklahoma House Bill 1076 and State Fire Marshal regulations) regarding mobile food vendors becomes effective.
• Upcoming Ordinance Consideration: Proposed amendments to city ordinances will be brought before the Council in 📅 September meetings for first reading to ensure compliance with state law by November 1st.
• Future Committee Discussions:
  • A comprehensive discussion on all city licenser fees, including those for food trucks, is anticipated in a future CPTC (Community Planning and Transportation Committee) or BACA (Budget and Audit Committee) meeting.
  • Further exploration into the potential for long-term leasing of city-owned parking spaces and lots for food trucks, including infrastructure for power and water, will also be directed to a CPTC or BACA committee meeting.

Key Discussions & Staff Direction

The study session focused on proposed amendments to city ordinances concerning mobile food vendors to align with new state legislation.

• Oklahoma House Bill 1076 (Mobile Food Vendors):

  • This state law, effective 📅 November 1st, mandates that municipalities issue licenses to mobile food vendors in recognition of state licenses, primarily verifying compliance with state requirements.
  • City ordinances must be consistent with state law; current city provisions are largely in line, requiring mostly additions for compliance.
  • Operating Locations: State law clarifies where food trucks can operate:
    • Municipal property: As allowed by the municipality.
    • Private commercial property: With owner permission, in areas zoned for food establishments. (The city currently lacks specific zoning for food trucks, meaning they are generally allowed in commercial zones with owner permission, e.g., gas stations).
    • Residential properties: With owner permission, with limits on how long they can locate (e.g., for neighborhood events or even in a private driveway).
  • Municipal Powers: The city can restrict noise (within 23 feet), require special permits for parking, prevent obstruction of ingress/egress, pass provisions for public health/safety, develop metered parking passes for extended operation, and investigate foodborne illness.
  • State Restrictions on Municipalities: The city cannot prohibit operation if state-licensed, dictate the format of permission from private owners, require constant motion, limit the number of licenses issued, require security measures (like fingerprinting), require additional surety bonds (unless operating on municipal property/at a municipal event), or require multiple health inspections (unless investigating foodborne illness).

• State Fire Marshal Regulations (Mobile Food Preparation Vehicles):

  • Also effective 📅 November 1st, these regulations subject mobile food preparation vehicles exclusively to State Fire Marshal compliance for fire safety.
  • The city's amended ordinance will require proof of annual State Fire Marshal inspection approval instead of conducting its own inspections.
  • State law includes preemptive language, limiting local fire safety codes unless a county has a population over 400,000 (Cleveland County does not).

• Proposed Ordinance Amendments:

  • Expanded Licenser Categories: City ordinance definitions will be updated to match those found in the State Health Department regulations.
  • Additional Insured Provisions: Language will be added to require mobile food vendors to provide additional insured coverage when operating on municipal property or at municipal events.
  • New Park Food Vendor Permits: A new permit category will be created for food trucks operating in city parks for non-sponsored events, requiring proof of additional insured coverage and a nominal $10 fee.
  • Annual Permits for Mobile Food Vendors: To align with the state process, annual permits (currently $50) will now be available for mobile vendors, in addition to the existing temporary permits.

• Future Discussions & Staff Direction:

  • Council members expressed strong interest in exploring the long-term leasing of city-owned parking spaces and lots (including metered street parking and unused corners of parking lots) for food trucks. This could include providing infrastructure like power and water hookups to make Norman more appealing to food truck operators. Staff was directed to bring this topic forward for further discussion in a committee.
  • The proposed permit fee adjustments (see Financial Matters) are considered placeholders, and a broader discussion on all city licenser fees is anticipated.

Financial Matters

• Permit Fee Adjustments:
  • House Bill 1076 stipulates that municipal licenser fees cannot exceed administrative costs.
  • The proposed draft ordinance suggests lowering temporary permit fees to ensure consistency with the $50 annual fee and the administrative cost requirement:
    • 30-day permit: Proposed from $50 to $30.
    • 180-day permit: Proposed from $250 to $40.
    • 1-day permit: Remains $20.
    • Annual permit (for both fixed and mobile vendors): Remains $50.
  • Renewal fees are proposed to be the same as the original permit fee (currently $10 for renewals, will be adjusted to match the original permit cost).
  • A new Park Food Vendor Permit is proposed with a nominal fee of $10.
  • Council acknowledged that these fee adjustments are interim measures, and a more comprehensive review and potential adjustment of all city licenser fees will be discussed in a future committee meeting.

Agenda Summary Table