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NJCU has always been a commuter campus and most of the students were/are working their way through college.

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If they abide the dumb, almost unenforceable law that requires them to move every two hours, how are the trucks going to lease a parking spot and operate daily from that location? I assume at the end of the day, the food trucks go back to be parked near their owners' homes.

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I can't speak to how it is, now, but when I went there (while it was still Jersey City State - 20 years ago), both I and every one of my co-students was a commuter, so of course there was no off-campus life. If we hung out, it was in Manhattan.

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I eat at them often when I am on that side during the warmer months. Its great to eat outside the campus, I must say all the cities I have lived in there is no student life outside the campus near any of the universities in Jersey City which I find pretty pathetic.

Good Food Trucks are located by NJCU. They have been there for years. Most people at the University would rather eat there than the Caf.

This law about moving every two hours comes up every few years.

The trucks at the University were allowed to stay in the same place the last time this law came up.

Jersey City is amending the food vendor license. It is a second reading ordinance 14-018, public advertisement. When this was introduced at the caucus meeting last week, Michael Yun said the ordinance should require a background check. But the council president said the city support second chances for people with record. There is a difference between a teenager who sold drugs and turned his/her life around as an adult and someone with a violent history especially sexual assault. Michael Yun is correct, food vendor should have a background check if they deal with the public. This was not a story in the JJ because no reporter was present.

Truck food vendors should also be required to lease a parking spot for 1 year - They should also face a fine if they don't operate daily from the location and face a penalty if they want to cancel the permit - This should be a penalty no different then a person leasing a brick and mortor establishment ... there needs to be parity and similar consequences for a fair playing field.

*How* is this ever going to be enforced anyway? Are traffic enforcement people going to walk around to every food truck, chalk the tires and then come back two hours later?

Are they going to measure the actual distance that every food truck has moved after two hours to make sure the 150-feet requirement is followed?

What if a truck has been in the same space for almost two hours, and then somebody just *happens* to walk up to their window with a big order?

There is a two-hour rule for non-permit holders parking on Jersey City residential streets that requires them to move after two hours, and it is arbitrarily enforced as it is, but it is a bit easier for traffic enforcement to follow because we're talking about vehicles without permits in an entire traffic zone that enforcement officers can easily boot or ticket. Still, there are always complaints about traffic officers issuing tickets to cars parked less than two hours, and making unfair assumptions about guilt.

I can only guess two things about this ordinance - it will either not be well-enforced and be regarded as essentially a toothless piece of legislation OR it will be arbitrarily enforced, generating numerous complaints from the food trucks, some of whom may just quit selling in Jersey City altogether, much to the delight of restaurant owners who deemed them to be "unfair competition", whatever that is supposed to mean. City hall has either wasted its time on this, or Jersey City consumers will ultimately lose with fewer choices and less competition.

I did some research on this previously... the food truck would need a (1 day?) catering permit for the event and would be exempt during the period of the permit from any other laws governing food trucks (they would be subject to the same requirements of caterers).

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Does anyone know how these ordinances will affect food trucks hired to cater private events?

I am interested in doing so, but do not want to run afoul of enforcement because they think the truck I hired is vending to the general public. Will the 300 ft from a restaurant/2 hour rule still apply?

Also, to respond to Loko - the better food trucks are usually near the Grove and Exchange Place path stations. Or at the Grove Farmer's market.

Where is there a good food truck vender in Jersey City with decent prices?
I see them driving around but never actually parked selling except for the ones by the car dealerships for the employees to purchase from.

New regulations for Jersey City food trucks (finally) adopted by City Council

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
March 28, 2013 at 9:29 PM

New regulations for Jersey City food trucks and other mobile food vendors were adopted by the City Council tonight, over the objections of a vendor who said the measure lacks teeth.

The measure, adopted unanimously, places a two-hour limit on the amount of time a mobile vendor can stay in one place, and it requires a vendor to stay at least 300 feet away from any licensed brick-and-mortar eatery.

Jason Scott, owner of The Taco Truck, said the council?s decision to eliminate a rigorous application process from the measure would lead to ?lawlessness.?

The revised ordinance adopted tonight "fails to address critical issues,? said Scott.

A requirement for mobile vendors to attend a food-handling course was also eliminated from the ordinance, which has been in the works for years and has been in front of the council numerous times without ever making it to adoption.

Ward A Councilman Michael Sottolano told Scott the measure was just a first step that will allow city health officials to inspect and license all the vendors currently operating.

A specific application process and other regulations will be added in the future, Sottolano said.

?This is just step one,? agreed Ward B Councilman David Donnelly

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... y_cit_3.html#incart_river

Caj, you are exactly right. Competition ultimately drives up the quality of product available to the consumer, it's very basic economics. So by limiting competition (which is what this law does), not only do we have less choices, but we are stuck with less quality food overall.

The food trucks are very popular. The government of Jersey City should have citizens' best interests in mind, and in this instance they don't.

Not to mention the intangibles that food trucks give to the community, such as creativity and more vibrant streets.

I largely agree, of course, there is an item that blocks restaurant owners from opening a food truck... there are only so many permits issued. A few years ago permits were cheap (because the health department head was selling them illegally under the table - bid rig put an end to that). Currently the cost of a permit (since you have to buy it on the secondary market) is pretty hefty. The one possible benefit to anyone other than restaurateurs is potentially to people looking for parking...

I've seen a lot of dumb laws passed by the city council but this one may be among their most idiotic.

First of all, while it's true that a mobile food vendor may have lower overhead than a brick-and-mortar restaurant, if owners of a brick-and-morter restaurant are truly threatened by that type of competition, they should try and look into another line of business. I don't see how the two types of businesses compete. Your restaurant must be infested with rats, crawling all over, if people would choose a food truck instead of your sit-down place.

Okay, maybe they compete with the smaller
carry-out places with minimal seating, but if food trucks are such a problem to your carry out restaurant, why not just get into the food truck business yourself? As a matter of fact, some restaurants in Jersey City (carry out or otherwise), already do operate mobile units of their own.

Second, competition is the American way. End of story. The restaurant business is competitive. Get over it or find a less competitive business to run. No one's stopping you from starting your own food truck if you think it's hurting your own business.

Third, I absolutely do not see how making food trucks move every two hours serves any real purpose, nor do I see how easily it can be enforced (how are you going to track the time every truck pulls into a space and what time it pulls out?). Ultimately, it's just the would-be consumers who get screwed by this nonsense.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

essentially they, like most business owners, dont like competition, and they especially dont like it if the competitor has lower overhead expense. for consumers competition is great, for restaurant owners who are stuck in leases, it sucks.

I don't understand the brick and morters' beef. I've never been on my way to a restaurant, saw a food truck and thought, "Gee, maybe I want to stand outside and eat something instead." If I want a restaurant, I go there. If it's a nice night and Groove on Grove is happening, food truck's the way to go.

Food trucks encourage more foot traffic, something that's good for everyone.

Jersey City council looking to finalize rules for mobile food vendors

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
on March 28, 2013 at 9:32 AM

Revised regulations for Jersey City food trucks and other mobile food vendors are set for adoption tonight by the City Council, but one prominent food vendor is still unhappy about the measure.

The proposed ordinance, which has come before the council numerous times only to be tabled or revised at the last minute, would prohibit mobile vendors from staying in one spot for more than two hours.

The vendors would also have to stay at least 300 feet from any brick-and-mortar eatery. The measure was introduced 8-0 at the March 13 council meeting, and is set for adoption at the body?s regular meeting tonight.

But older versions of the proposed ordinance were ?stronger? than the one scheduled for adoption this week, according to Jason Scott, owner of the Taco Truck.

The council has ?actually taken out all the guts,? Scott said.

?They?re just trying to get something passed,? he said. ?But this isn?t any better than the ordinance that is currently on the books, so I don?t know why they?re rushing to get this done.?

The newest version of the measure doesn?t include a provision requiring applicants for mobile food vendor licenses to attend a course in food handling. That requirement was included in a previous draft approved by the council in February.

A rigorous application process that was outlined in previous drafts is also missing.

There?s also a clause in the newest measure that prohibits food vendors from operating on private property. The council had previously considered allowing property owners to give permission to allow food vendors, a clause Scott had personally requested.

City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said the newest draft has three inclusions agreed to by the council at its last caucus. All other issues will continue to be discussed by the council, Morrill said.

City officials hope the new regulations will lead to better enforcement of rules for mobile food vendors. The measure first came before the council in April 2011, and each time it was introduced, it faced opposition from either food vendors who thought the regulations were too strict or owners of brick-and-mortar eateries who thought they were not strict enough.

The council meets tonight at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 280 Grove St

http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index ... y_council_looking_to.html

http://www.nj.com/jjournalnews/index. ... ty_council_unanimous.html
Jersey City council unanimous in introducing updated rules for food trucks

Very lame. Once again, the consumers/JC residents lose.

More competition (from food trucks or other restaurants) is what ultimately drives the quality/creativity of all eateries UP. Why are we babying the brick and mortar restaurants? There is a piece of the pie for everybody. I don't think too many people eat at a food truck every single day.

The food trucks around here are some of the only eating establishments that are doing anything creative. Does Hoboken have such laws regarding food trucks?

Pshaw - Does this mean that once the multi-plex pizza place opens on the plaza at Grove Street food trucks that are part of the Farmers' Market won't be allowed? What about the vendors who have stalls, not trucks? Many sell cooked foods like empanadas, bbq, etc.
What's the name of this bill "The Protection of Crappy Restos from Competition Act"?

Doesn't make sense !

How long does an average employee have for lunch and at what times do employees have their lunch ?

A food vendor comes in at 12.30pm and leaves at 2.30pm - makes an quick profit and thank-you very much !

Jersey City council introduces law that says food vendors have to relocate every two hours

By Anthony J. Machcinski/The Jersey Journal
February 13, 2013 at 6:44 PM

JERSEY CITY- New regulations to force food vendors to stay away from licensed brick-and-mortar eateries took another step forward this evening when the city council unanimously introduced the ordinance.

The vote on the ordinance's first reading passed 9-0 with all members of the council present for tonight's meeting.

City officials have spent years debating changes to the vendor ordinance. The new regulations would force vendors to stay at least 300 feet away from any licensed brick-and-mortar eatery. The vendors would also have to move at least 150 feet every two hours.

The only exemption to the proposed rule would be in the area New Jersey City University, where food truck owners have said that they shouldn't be forced to move because they don't compete with any restaurants.

"There's nothing around here," said food truck owner Gus Papathanasis, 58, of Jersey City told The Jersey Journal. "No delis, no restaurants."

The council was set to approve changes to the regulation in April 2011, but the vote was delayed after the vendors said they were too restrictive.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... l_takes.html#incart_river