CLIFTON PARK – Lawmakers are planning to change a long-standing law that would dramatically reduce the fee structure for operating a food truck in Clifton Park.
The City Council introduced a bill on Monday that would reduce the fee for a “traveling vendor license” from the current $300 per day to $25 per day or $100 per year. The proposal calls for a $10 fee if an inspection is required.
Supervisor Phil Barrett called the proposal an “acceptable solution” to what he said was a “very high fee” that came to light in recent weeks after several food truck operators raised concerns about the cost of doing business in the city.
The current legislation was first passed in 1988 and amended in 2006 to regulate “the conduct and business practices of itinerant traders” throughout Clifton Park.
The bill would require traders to submit a business license or registration with the New York State Department of State and proof of $100,000 in liability insurance before obtaining a traveling trader license.
The new fee structure will also be retroactive to July 1. This means that any operator who paid the current fee between July 1 and the law’s entry into force will receive a refund under the law.
“You pay the old fee, but after the refund you pay the new fee, which is substantially lower,” Barrett said. “This was the best and fairest way we could find to make sure we didn’t put anyone in a difficult position.”
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A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for August 19 at 7 p.m. Lawmakers are expected to approve the bill that evening, Barrett said.
It is common for food truck operators to charge fees to open their stands, but the amount of the fees varies from municipality to municipality.
In Schenectady, dealers must pay $500 for an annual license. For a six-month license, the fee is $400, for a month, $200, and for a week, $100.
In Saratoga Springs, the dealer fee is $250 and operators must show proof of $1 million in general liability insurance.
Clifton Park Town Council member Anthony Morelli said the town does not impose an “intentional fee” on merchants, noting that this structure was in place years before merchants first raised concerns.
“We want to do it right,” he said.
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