BOISE, Idaho — This story originally appeared in The Idaho Press.
The City of Boise unanimously passed an ordinance Tuesday that is intended to make obtaining food licenses easier for food trucks and farmers market vendors.
The ordinance removes “unnecessary background checks,” requires licensing for businesses instead of for every employee and removes a “duplicative” license.
The issues impact small businesses, Andrea Cantor, economic development advisor in the mayor’s office, said during a presentation in late February.
“We wanted to do everything we could to cut red tape and make it possible, especially for these startup businesses and food trucks,” Boise Mayor Lauren McLean said Tuesday before the vote. “We're doing it quickly because it is time for markets to start, which is always an exciting time in Boise.”
The old licensing provisions were unclear and because of that, there was limited compliance, according to feedback the City of Boise heard.
Food trucks are part of a group called “mobile eating and drinking establishments” in city code, Cantor said.
This group of businesses requires two licenses: an eating and drinking - mobile license, and a vendor license, according to the February presentation. The eating and drinking - mobile license is seen as “duplicative,” because it confirms the health district license.
The new ordinance removes the eating and drinking license and requires all health department documentation to be posted and maintained.
Vendors are classified as a tier two business, along with pawnbrokers, precious metal dealers and “non-consent towing services.”
This means their vendor license requires a background check submitted to the FBI. Brick and mortar restaurants are tier one businesses, which do not require background checks.
The ordinance adds vendors to the list of tier one businesses.
Businesses and individuals at farmers markets that prepare or sell food are regulated and defined as restaurants in Boise code, which requires the eating and drinking - mobile license, which again confirms the health district license.
“This really came from…some problems that our different markets and food trucks had identified and really came up with some great solutions, including reclassifying some businesses to more appropriate businesses to make sure that everything fit nice and well,” Councilmember Jimmy Hallyburton said Tuesday.
This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press, read more on IdahoPress.com.
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