Whitefish eases food vendor regs in city limits

A request from the City of Whitefish to amend vendor regulations to make them less restrictive was approved unanimously by the council at its regular meeting on Nov. 6. The changes were previously discussed by the council at a work session.

The changes reduce limitations, public noticing and other restrictions on food vendors in commercial zones. 

“The history of the original ordinance and our restrictions on food vendors downtown was based almost solely on the mess that was left,” said Councilor Frank Sweeney who sought further assurances that the city won’t have the same problems with trash they’ve had in the past.

The Whitefish Planning Board recommended a change that stated vendors must have and maintain a garbage can within 10 feet of the service window. Additionally, the ban on outdoor seating was eliminated.

“Now they could put a picnic table up which we believe would help reduce litter throughout the community,” Taylor said. “Where they don’t have a place to sit and eat, typically people walk with their food and whatever container it’s in and if there’s not a garbage can handy, sometimes it ends up scattered around the city.” 

Food truck owner Andres Guzman has been through the process to obtain a food vending permit more than once and said the changes are good, though the waiting period required in Whitefish is still “unnecessarily complicated” compared to the process in Columbia Falls and Kalispell. 

“The seating does mitigate litter,” Guzman said. “I have been selling food downtown at night for the last three years and … it’s been a half a dozen times where I've been walking from my house to work and I've seen litter.” 

He added that if customers had a place to sit, that litter would not exist.

During public comment, two other residents mentioned the diversity of options food trucks bring to town, particularly at lunchtime.

Fire and building code inspections are still required and the city added that a propane gas detector is required if the vendor does any inside cooking with propane. A conditional use permit is required for having more than one vendor on a lot, like a food truck court.