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After spending time as a mobile hot dog vendor and hitting some snags with city requirements, Bubbadogz Owner Matt Wasteney transitioned indoors this year. In March, he opened in permanent space inside Liberty Lake Chevron. Wasteney said he is planning special events such as a hot dog eating contest in the coming months.

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Mobile food vendor restrictions remain
3/30/2015 3:07:16 PM

By Craig Howard
Splash Contributor

So much for a food fight.  

The faceoff between permanent restaurants and mobile food vendors amounted to little more than tranquil testimony at the March 17 Liberty Lake City Council meeting as a public hearing on interim regulations for portable restaurateurs was voted down, 5-1, by the governing board.

On the table was a proposal to allow food trucks to operate outside special events with certain limitations such as exclusion from the city's central business district. City Council had asked municipal staff to revisit the policy during its annual retreat last August. 

If passed, the ordinance would have translated into an interim zoning amendment allowing mobile vendors to function under a trial run until this September, when council addresses the annual amendment cycle to place standards permanently into the code. 

At the public hearing, a pair of local restaurant owners - Bobby Taninchev of Twisp Café and Coffee House and Randy Youngdell of San Francisco Sourdough Eatery - spoke out against the potential proliferation of migratory diners.

"Personally, I think this could damage our restaurants," Taninchev said. "These mobile vendors usually have very low overhead. The other thing is they don't pay the same taxes like we do. We pay property tax, Labor and Industry tax, Social Security. We have very high overhead."

Youngdell told council that allowing more mobile vendors would adversely affect the look of the city.

"Let's say a truck comes in near me that's a sandwich shop," he said. "I believe in entrepreneurship and opportunity, but I don't think that's the look we want for Liberty Lake." 

Youngdell added that brick and mortar establishments are "part of the community," paying taxes that contribute to the public good while also becoming part of the civic terrain.

"A lot of times these mobile vendors are not really a part of the community," he said. "Even though I might not live in the community, I have a business in the community so I am 100 percent vested in the city of Liberty Lake. I have nothing against mobile vendors, but for a small city like Liberty Lake, I just don't think it's the place for it, except for special events."

Council Member Hugh Severs said he had been in favor of allowing more leeway for mobile vendors until discussing the topic with area restaurant owners.  

"I've been completely for this ordinance all the way along, until recently," Severs said. "I believe in providing entrepreneurs an opportunity, but I don't believe it's the right move for Liberty Lake, the aesthetics and the existing business owners." 

Taninchev noted that the walkable nature of Liberty Lake, combined with the fact that many restaurants offer delivery, negates the need for vendors planting near businesses during lunch hour.

"We've grown in the last two years, mainly because we started delivering to all these offices," he said. "Most of these employees have many options, they have cafeterias, they have nearby restaurants they can walk to. I don't think walking distance is an issue for most of these employees."

Taninchev brought a picture of a mobile food truck that he had spotted the day before within the central business district. City Administrator Katy Allen said the city was not aware of the vendor but did confirm that no special permit had been issued. 

"Going forward, food trucks will only be permitted for special events," Allen said. "Special events include the Farmers Market, the (Liberty Lake Community) Yard Sales, a grand opening, etc." 

Youngdell said additional mobile competition would impact his sandwich shop and plans for expansion, including a drive-thru and extended summer hours. He also referred to the number of empty commercial properties in the city and the message loosened mobile standards might send to potential business owners. 

"If I've got vending trucks within a half block and up the street, I'm not sure if I can see the potential for growth," he said. "Also, if we allow that all the time, there's going to be a lot of people who look at those vacant buildings in the city and say they're better off just buying a vendor truck and getting a license, instead of being part of the community."  

Council Member Keith Kopelson, a successful entrepreneur who owns several businesses, threw his hat into the mobile food field last year but has since decided against it.  

"After careful consideration, I also came to the conclusion that it's not really right for Liberty Lake and exited the business," Kopelson said.  

Council Member Odin Langford pointed out that the ordinance would run counter to the city's emphasis on adding establishments that appeal to Liberty Lake's demographics.

"This is not the direction the city needs to go in," he said. "One of the things we always ask for is more family restaurants. I see this as a direct competition to something we would really like for our city. I also believe that the brick-and-mortar restaurants we have here are staunch supporters of the city, and I think this is a time we can say, ‘We support you with this.'" 

Mayor Steve Peterson referred to his experience at the Liberty Lake Farmers Market where he and his wife, Charmaine, sold crepes for six years. 

"The market is a great way to test concepts for a restaurant franchise," he said. "I think that's the appropriate place."

Council Member Dan Dunne, who cast the only minority vote, said a temporary code is set up in such a way for the city to evaluate the impact.  

"I believe that the nature of the interim amendment and allowing for consideration is a great opportunity," Dunne said. "Rather than using a permanent amendment, this allows us to understand how this would interact in our city."

Matt Wasteney, owner of Bubbadogz, did not appear at the public hearing, but addressed the council's decision afterward. Bubbadogz initially set up shop outside the STCU administrative headquarters as a mobile vendor in 2012, then moved outside the Chevron gas station in Liberty Lake before city regulations forced them to close shop. The business now has a permanent site inside Chevron. 

"I can see both sides of the issue," Wasteney said. "I do understand trying to maintain the continuity of the town. The Liberty Lake community and the city have both been really good to us. Really, I'm OK with their decision."


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