Soldotna mobile food vendor regulations approved

  • By Kelly Sullivan
  • Saturday, July 25, 2015 10:06pm
  • News

Mobile food vendors looking to set up shop in Soldotna have a ne set of regulations developed by the city.

Changes the Soldotna City Council approved Wednesday will have little effect on existing operations. Prior permits and regulations only addressed temporary businesses.

“All of the food vendors that are already permitted to be in Soldotna, most of them won’t have to do anything at all,” said Director of Economic Development Stephanie Queen. “(We may have to) follow up with some to collect copies of their DEC (Department of Environmental Health) permits, but other than that we are just going to roll them forward into the new program. They won’t have to reapply; they won’t have to pay a new fee. Where we need to we will follow up and get a few documents we need to put in the file.”

The new rules will apply immediately.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

“For anybody new in town, they will just be able to come in and the new process will apply,” Queen said. “We will collect their documents, make sure they know the general guidelines and they will be able to be on their way.”

City staff, the Planning and Zoning Commission and the city council have been collaborating and developing the regulations since January, when public meetings were held to gauge the specific operational needs that come along with mobile businesses.

The code begins with defining what constitutes a mobile vendor.

Issuance of a Mobile Vendor Permit is required for vehicles and wagons “capable of moving easily daily from location to location and from which any food, beverage, or retail sale occurs,” according to the new code.

Each vendor must go through an approval procedure, which includes a $50 fee, application filed through the city, proof of a DEC permit and waste management plan among others and adhere to eight general standards of operation, delineated in the municipal code.

Council Member Keith Baxter suggested four changes to the final set of regulations submitted by the Planning and Zoning Commission on June 10. The city council vote was pushed back until the July 15 meeting so the commission and public had more time to review the regulations and address concerns.

Baxter proposed an amendment to address the potential imposition of excessive noise on other businesses’ operations.

“The noise mitigation is something that hadn’t really been discussed in length prior to this meeting,” Baxter said. “I felt it was prudent to make a plan to mitigate the noise of generators.”

Council Members Linda Murphy and Pete Sprague said they felt the addition was unnecessary.

Enforcing noise regulations may be too challenging, Sprague said.

Baxter said city staff also suggested waiting a year to see if any noise complaints occurred.

The noise mitigation amendment was not included in the final regulations.

Reach Kelly Sullivan at kelly.sullivan@peninsulaclarion.com.

More in News

The Ninilchik River on May 18, 2019, in Ninilchik, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)
Ninilchik River to remain closed to king salmon fishing

It was an “error in regulation” that would have opened the Ninilchik River to king salmon fishing on Wednesday.

A table used by parties to a case sits empty in Courtroom 4 of the Kenai Courthouse in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Nikiski woman sentenced to 4 years in prison for 2023 drug death

Lawana Barker was sentenced for her role in the 2023 death of Michael Rodgers.

Alaska State Troopers logo.
Seward resident arrested after Monday night police pursuit

Troopers say she led them on a high-speed chase on Kalifornsky Beach Road for around 7 miles.

Concert-goers listen to The Discopians at Concert on the Lawn on Saturday, July 12, 2025, at Karen Hornaday Park in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
‘Dancing at the end of the world’

KBBI AM 890 hosted their annual Concert on the Lawn Saturday.

Lisa Gabriel unfurls a set beach seine during a test fishery for the gear near Clam Gulch, Alaska, on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Seine test fishery continues after board of fish calls for more data

The east side setnet fishery has been entirely closed in recent years to protect Kenai River king salmon

Jason Criss stands for a photo in Soldotna, Alaska, after being named a qualifier for the Special Olympics USA Games on Thursday, July 10, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna athlete to compete in 2026 Special Olympics USA Games

Thousands of athletes from across all 50 states will be competing in 16 sports.

The entrance to the Homer Electric Association office is seen here in Kenai, Alaska on May 7, 2020. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
HEA opens bids for real property

The deadline to submit bids is 5 p.m. on Aug. 11.

Arturo Mondragon-Lopez, Jr. (right) attends a change of plea hearing related to the October 2023 fatal shooting of Brianna Hetrick on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, at the Homer Courthouse in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Mondragon-Lopez sentenced for death of Homer woman

Arturo Mondragon-Lopez, Jr. accepted a plea deal in February for the shooting of Brianna Hetrick.

Most Read

You're browsing in private mode.
Please sign in or subscribe to continue reading articles in this mode.

Peninsula Clarion relies on subscription revenue to provide local content for our readers.

Subscribe

Already a subscriber? Please sign in