Parkersburg City Council Refers Food Truck Ordinance Back to Planning Commission Amidst Vendor Concerns
The Parkersburg City Council has voted 7-2 to send a proposed ordinance, which aimed to update regulations for mobile vendors, back to the Municipal Planning Commission. This decision followed significant concerns raised by local food truck owners and other stakeholders during a public forum. Jimmy Carrano, owner of Jimmy Avocado's, expressed a perceived lack of input from food truck operators in the ordinance's development. City Development Director Ryan Barber stated the ordinance was initiated after a business sought to sell food from a boat at Point Park, noting that the existing 'Hawkers and Peddlers' municipal code section had remained largely unchanged since 1947. The proposed regulations included requirements for valid city business and mobile vending licenses, adherence to Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department permits, and specific rules for operating on private or city property, including Bicentennial Park. Key contentious provisions restricted operating hours to 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and mandated a 200-... 
