By: Blis Savidge
Athens-Clarke County commissioners hope to finally please both food truck owners and restauranteurs with their new proposed alternative to the food truck ordinance. After months of back and forth, the commissioners will vote on the compromise measure at tonight’s mayor and commissioners’ meeting.
The proposed alternative authored by Commissioners Mike Hamby and Sharyn Dickerson focuses on four major changes.
- A change in location for the mobile vendors on Thursdays from College Avenue and Washington Street to College Avenue and Hancock Avenue.
- The requirement of mobile food vendors to follow the solid waste collection policies and procedures of Athens-Clarke County.
- An increase in operational fees for mobile food vendors. $515.00 for a mobile food vendor unit permit and an additional annual fee of $156.00 for mobile food vendors that do not already have a fixed business address in ACC in lieu of occupation tax.
- All permits for mobile food vendors use on public space are to expire on December 31, 2016 to allow for further review by the Mayor and commissioners.
Restaurant owners and managers in Athens have mixed feelings about the possible new addition to downtown. To hear what some have to say about the changes to the food truck ordinance, watch the video below.
