Plum officials to explore creating a food truck database, ordinance

Plum officials want to ensure all food trucks operating in the borough have proper insurance and Allegheny County Health Department certifications.

Adopting an ordinance requiring those mobile businesses to produce such documents was a topic of discussion at Monday’s workshop meeting.

“It’s not a lot to ask, especially if they’re on borough property,” said Councilman Dan Hadley, owner of Dad’s Pub & Grub in Monroeville, which also operates a food truck under the same name. “You want to make sure that you’re covered, and you want to make sure that they’re operating lawfully. There are a lot of rogue trucks out there that don’t have any of that stuff.”

The ordinance, which is likely not to be adopted for at least several months if not the end of the year, would include a $25 fee and help create a food truck database so code enforcement and police could check on a truck operating on borough roads or property.

Borough Manager Michael Thomas said food trucks involved with borough events such as the summer and fall festivals already provide the aforementioned information.

However, that is considered a one-time event whereas the ordinance would install a permit for the whole year.

The food trucks that participate in borough events also would have to comply with the ordinance, once it is in place.

Council members expressed concern about ordinance language involving the use of streets and restricting traffic lanes.

Thomas said the ordinance would not apply to private events such as a graduation party at someone’s home or a food truck rally at one of the borough fire departments.

He said borough officials have been debating the merits of food truck regulations for years, and the increase in mobile restaurant popularity has necessitated more formal discussions.

“It provides some assurance for the residents that the food trucks that are coming in to our community have the appropriate health regulations in place given that they are going to provide our residents with consumables,” council President Dave Odom said. “We want to make sure that they are up to code to make sure our residents are safe patronizing these food trucks.”

The borough’s planning and economic development committee will work with the administration to create the ordinance.

Should those talks move quickly, the earliest the ordinance would be advertised is July for possible adoption in August.

Thomas called that timeline “aggressive,” and said the most likely outcome would be to have the ordinance on the books in time for January.