Beaverton City Council Helps Food Cart Pods

The Beaverton City Council wants food carts to be able to thrive in town, not just survive. So, they have passed new regulations that they hope will make it easier for them to operate.

The new rules, which will go into effect on January 17, 2017, will allow food carts and food cart pods to store fresh water and waste water in above ground tanks while keeping their public health and environmental protections.

The new rule replaces one that would have required food cart pds to connect to sewer and waste lines.

The City Council also voted to adopt changes to rules that regulate food trucks. Food trucks are different from food pods, in that they are more mobile than food carts, and are required to leave the site after they close for the night. The new changes allow:

* Food trucks to operate without a city permit if they are located on a site for three hours or less

* Food trucks to operate with a city permit if they are located on site for three to seven hours

* Up to three food trucks that operate with a permit (that is, operate on one site for more than three hours, but less than seven hours) to locate on one site

Photo Colin Miner