Malibu News
Council To Consider More Food Truck Rules
By Damian Kelly
Nov 7, 2012 - 3:04:50 PM

MALIBU—The Malibu City Council isset to discuss options that will place more restrictions on food trucks and other mobile vendors on Tuesday, November 13 at Malibu City Hall at 6:30 p.m.  The discussion will occur as a result of the increase in complaints about the mobile vendors in the city.

Reports indicate that most complaints council members have received from residents are about food trucks along Pacific Coast Highway, especially on the corner of Heathercliff Road.  Other complaints have included a juice truck in the Cross Creek area and vehicles that rent recreational equipment near the Malibu Pier.

A food truck. Photo courtesy of Melinful blog

The city is already working to mitigate this problem by stepping up enforcement through the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department of existing provisions in the State Streets and Highway Code that limit parking on public rights-of-way to 72 hours.  Council members may consider extending the regulations to other public rights-of-way other than PCH, but an ordinance would be required.

Councilwoman Laura Zahn Rosenthal, however, wants to go a step further and eliminate mobile vendors from Pacific Coast Highway.  She says that such a law exists and just needs to be enforced.  Section 731 of the State Highway code contains such a provision, claims Rosenthal.

Meanwhile, Matt Geller, chief executive officer of the SoCal Mobile Food Vendors Association, said he has worked with cities in the past to allow mobile vendors to do business in the state.  He added that they are willing to advise the city of Malibu on what other cities have done to regulate mobile vendors.

The city has previously taken steps to reduce complaints about the food trucks by spending $38,000 earlier this month to install 39 trash cans near bus stops on Pacific Coast Highway.