Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the initiative involves the city’s Food Truck Association and the Food Film Festival.

On Tuesday, the trucks were at relief sites in Brooklyn and Queens, and on Staten Island.

The effort supplements the 1.4 million ready-made-meals that have been distributed over five days. Individuals, nonprofits and other businesses also have been pitching in.

The food truck relief program is sponsored by the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. The fund is raising private money for storm relief efforts.

DCRA will be issuing a total of 750 vending licenses for the 2013 Inauguration.

Please read all the details below carefully before submitting your application. Due to the expected high volume of applications, any incomplete application that is submitted will be rejected.

DETAILS

If you want to obtain a Vendors License for Inauguration 2013 you need to:

Step 1. If you are not already registered with the Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR), you need to register your business using OTR Registration Form FR-500B. Applications may be obtained at OTR, 1101 4th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024. (Available at the OTR Customer Service Center). You may access this form online by going to: (a) cfo.dc.gov, then (b) Taxpayer Service Center, then (d) Forms and finally, selecting the Form FR-500B.

Step 2. Obtain a Clean Hands Certification from OTR. (Available at the OTR Customer Service Center).

Step 3. Submit a completed 2013 Inauguration Special Vending License Application to DCRA. Applications will be accepted from Monday, September 24, 2012 through 5 p.m. on Friday, November 23rd, 2012. All applications must be mailed or submitted in-person; no online applications will be accepted.

Each 2013 Inaugural Special Vending License is temporary, and will be issued to one (1) individual applicant. The applicant vendor must be onsite at all times while conducting vending operations. Only one (1) license will be issued for inaugural vending per operation. However, licensed vendors may elect to have up to two (2) additional employees (helpers) working onsite during the event.

Any additional employees (helpers) will receive a helper’s license for the event. The fee for each additional employee (helper) will be $50.

A complete application includes the following:

• Full name;
• Address of the business;
• Applicant/Helpers phone number(s);
• Applicant/Helpers email address (all inaugural vending updates and notifications will be sent via email only)
• Applicant/Helpers Social Security number;
• Applicant/Helpers date of birth;
• PD-70 form from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) (see below for details)
• Two (2) clearly labeled passport size photos for the applicant and for each helper

To obtain the PD-70 Form, please mail:
1. A notarized letter detailing your full name, date of birth, social security number, race and sex,
2. A self addressed stamped envelope (SASE), and
3. One $7.00 money order (per person) requesting a criminal history check to:

Metropolitan Police Department
Criminal History Section
2013 Inauguration Vending Request
300 Indiana Avenue, NW, Room 3075
Washington, DC 20001

The MPD will process and return this check to your mailing address within a matter of days.

To obtain the PD-70 Form in person:
Please visit MPD at the above listed address, provide the identifying information, and pay the $7.00 fee.

Failure to submit any of the above – by 5 p.m. on ** NEW DEADLINE ** Friday, November 23rd, 2012 – will result the application being deemed incomplete. Any incomplete applications will be rejected by DCRA.

Step 4. Application Review. Applications will be reviewed in the order in which they were received. DCRA will begin reviewing all applications during the week of November 9th. Beginning Friday, November 16th, DCRA will start sending out email notifications only alerting qualified applicants that their name will be put into the lottery pool. The lottery pool, which may exceed the number of total applications received, is the only pool from which DCRA will select 2013 Inaugural Vendors.

Step 5. Lottery. The lottery for the 2013 Inauguration will take place for an entire week, or five (5) consecutive business days, in December [dates TBD]. The lottery will occur only after DCRA has designated the approved vending areas, in conjunction with federal and District law enforcement officials.

The official 2013 Inauguration vending locations will be identified prior to the lottery week. After confirmation of these vending locations, DCRA will EMAIL qualified applicants in the order in which their applications were received and inform them of their lottery date. All applicant vendors will leave DCRA on their respective days knowing what location they were randomly assigned. Applicant vendors are required to pay the cashier the appropriate fees the same day that you receive your vending location.

Step 6. Inspections. All Inaugural Vendors must complete a health inspection that will be conducted by the Department of Health (DOH). Upon receiving your actual DCRA Inaugural vending license, DCRA will inform each vendor of the date, time and location of their respective health inspections. You must complete and pass this inspection in order to vend during the inaugural events. Any vendor who fails to complete this last piece of the process will NOT be able to vend during the inauguration. NO REFUNDS will be issued for failure to complete this last step.

DOH’s FSHISD will schedule a vending inspection round-up prior to the commencement of events. This round-up will occur on Friday, January 18, 2013 and Saturday, January 19, 2013, beginning at 7:00 a.m. During this time, approved vendors will receive a DOH Inaugural sticker valid for work during the Inauguration period only. The round-up will be used to check compliance with the DC Food Code as well as other applicable vending regulations pursuant to District of Columbia rules and regulations. For additional information or questions regarding 2013 Presidential Inaugural Food Vending, please contact the DOH Food Safety & Hygiene Inspection Services Division at (202) 535-2042. DOH must inspect all mobile food trucks prior to any Inaugural Vending. After DOH completes their inspection, you will be given final approval to operate your food service for Inauguration 2013.

Additional Information:

Department of Health (DOH) Mobile Food Vending Inspections – All parties interested in vending in the District of Columbia on Monday, January 21, 2013 must either be currently licensed by the District of Columbia or apply to receive a Temporary 2013 Inaugural Vending License from DCRA which will serve as their license for the event. In addition, a certified food protection manager (CFPM) MUST BE on-site during all hours of operation. The CFPM must have their local jurisdiction’s current credentials confirming their status. All local vendors must have the DOH-issued CFPM ID card. To obtain a DOH-issued CFPM card, you must first pass a national exam. Please visit DOH website for detail information on obtaining a CFPM. The Temporary 2013 Inaugural Vending License will only be valid on Monday, January 21, 2013 (excluding additional days at RFK or other sites indicated by DCRA) and only in designated areas established throughout the city. Only currently licensed DC vendors are authorized to vend in the District of Columbia on any other date(s). The District of Columbia has designated sites near the parade route as the special Inaugural Vending Zone and these sites will be distributed through DCRA sponsored lottery.

DOH must inspect all mobile food trucks prior to any Inaugural Vending. After DOH completes their inspection, you will be given final approval to operate your food service for Inauguration 2013.

Multiple Day Vending at RFK: For those who desire to vend on more than one (1) day, DCRA will authorize vendors who are assigned the RFK overflow location (and maybe one other location) to add additional days, up to two (2) additional days, of vending for an additional fee of $100 per day. (For example, if Sue Jones gets the RFK location and wants to vend not only on Inauguration Monday, but for the entire weekend beginning Saturday, she would have to pay $200 to cover Saturday through Sunday, as well as the fees listed below for Monday.)

PLEASE CONTINUE TO VISIT THE WEBSITE FOR UPDATED INFORMATION AS VENDING LOCATIONS AND MULTIPLE DAY VENDING OPTIONS MAY INCREASE.

Possible Vending Locations: The District of Columbia will designate sites in conformity with the Official Inaugural Vending Zone list which DCRA expects to receive in the coming weeks and will be posted to the DCRA website. However, based on the 2009 Inaugural zone areas, the following areas are possible vending locations:

- Gallery Place (Map one)
- Union Station (Map two)
- K Street: (Map three)
- North Capitol St. (Map four)
- RFK Overflow area (Map five)

Relocation of Vendors Currently Operating in Restricted Areas: Currently licensed DC vendors who are displaced as a result of security measures for Inauguration Day, but who have not submitted a completed application for the 2013 Inauguration Special Event Vending License, will not be relocated during the Inauguration events week.

Displaced vendors who have submitted a completed application for the 2013 Inauguration Special Event Vending License, can choose their preferred vending area from within those on the Official Inaugural Vending Zone. These vendors are required to pay all licensing and permit fees as detailed above.

Currently licensed DC vendors who normally operate at sites outside the Inaugural Vending Zone can conduct business as normal with their current vending license and do not need to obtain any additional licensure or permits from either DCRA or DOH.

FEES and TAXES. The total amount of fees due is based on number of vending days as well as number of helpers.
NOTE – ALL FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

Fee Schedule

DCRA Inaugural Vending Application Fee $50.00
DCRA Endorsement Fee $25.00
DCRA Inaugural Vending License Fee $150.00
Additional Vending Day Fee (RFK & other sites TBD) $100.00 (per day)
DCRA per Additional Helper $50.00 (Maximum two)

BELOW IS THE TOTAL BREAKDOWN OF FEES IN THE ORDER YOU WOULD PAY:

Submitted along with your completed applications no later than COB 11/23/12, all vendors should remit:
Inaugural Vending Application Fee $50.00
Endorsement Fee $25.00
Total: $75.00
Upon review of your completed application, DCRA will notify you via email that your application will be submitted into 2013 Inaugural Vending Site Lottery. The lottery will be held in the month of December. Once you have been designated a site through the lottery, you will then be required to remit:

Inaugural Vending License Fee $150.00
Additional Employee/Helper Fee $50.00 (maximum two people)
Additional Vending Days $100.00 (per day, maximum two (2) additional days)

The DCRA Inaugural Vending License fees are due the same day you are awarded an Inaugural vending location.

All lottery winners who remit the appropriate payments will receive their Inaugural Special Vending License on their lottery day. Failure to remit any portion of the above detailed payments on your lottery will result in immediate forfeiture. In these instances, those locations will be put back into the pool of remaining lottery locations.

Please do not submit estimated payments. Only fully paid applications will be reviewed and there is no refund for overpayment. Please do not submit license payments prior to learning on your lottery day that you have been awarded a specific lottery location. We will not accept requests or payments for expedited processing.

WHERE TO MAIL OR HAND DELIVER APPLICATIONS & PAYMENTS:

Inaugural Applications and payments can be either mailed or brought into:

Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs
Attention: Office of Special Events/Vending
1100 4th Street SW, Fourth Floor
Washington, DC 20024

DCRA will accept payments in the form of money orders, and cashier’s checks only. All payments should be made payable to “DC Treasurer.”

Owner Matt Cohen proved that he has secured the proper permit, and his claim that the market is a welcomed part of the community was supported by patrons with offices nearby, who came to speak in defense of Off The Grid.

While the location of the Soup Nazi truck is still being determined, we now have a glimpse into what could be served. All food will, of course, be themed based on Seinfeld episodes.

Fans haev balked at the lack of babka on the menu, but they should also see that there’s no calzone, big salad, pie or non-fat yogurt. But hey, who are we to complain? Because everything the Soup Nazi serves is free. That’s right – 100 percent, no cash, no credit cards, free.

The truck is manned by Larry Thomas, the actor who played the infamous Soup Nazi in Seinfeld. The location for Boston’s truck has yet to be determined, with fans arguing over Back Bay, the Pru and the Charlestown Navy Yard.

Stay tuned.

“Restraint of trade is what this ordinance serves up,” said Ald. John Arena (45th), who cast the only no vote.

“With so few stalls and too much restriction in the Central Business District where these trucks make their break-even money one or two days-a-week, we’re hamstringing this young industry.”

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said he brokered an end to the two year-stalemate that has stunted Chicago’s growth as a culinary capital of the world to jump-start job creation here that already leads the nation.

“We started that debate [with some saying] no to food trucks and others saying no to rules. And we’ve finally moved forward as a city,” the mayor said.

“Fifty other cities have figured out a way to go forward on food trucks [while protecting] brick-and-mortar [restaurants]. Chicago is known as the Second City. I just wanted to make sure we weren’t known as the 52nd City . … We are no longer merely debating things. We are doing things.”

Enjoy Great Local Discounts!

He added, “This is not the end. It allows us the blueprint and gives a green light to the food truck industry to start their engines and start rolling. And there’s nothing more important. If you want to see the food industry take off, pass this ordinance to get it going. We will then take the time to monitor it, ensure it and make reforms along the way that are needed.”

Food truck owners are unhappy about Emanuel’s plan to require food trucks to stay 200 feet away from brick-and-mortar restaurants, which also includes convenience stores that prepare and serve food and drink. They have also bemoaned the plan to restrict them to designated “food stands” in high-density areas and require food trucks to install GPS devices so the city can track their movements and impose $1,000 fines.

Some restaurant owners are equally upset with the mayor’s proposed compromise. They’re afraid that rolling restaurants that don’t pay property taxes will cut into their business at a time when many traditional restaurants are struggling to stay alive.

To appease traditional restaurants concerned about the threat to their businesses, the mayor’s ordinance requires mobile food trucks to meet three basic criteria. They have to set up shop at least 200 feet away from any licensed restaurant. They have to be in a location where they could “legally park.” And they cannot remain in any one location for more than two hours at a time.

When Patrick and Mindy Harney rolled out their rainbow hot dog cart in front of Dragon Tree Tattoo & Gifts last week, they were thrilled to find out that people still crave the original urban street snack. Brother Bear and Mindy’s Lot Dogs sold 40 dogs the first day they were out at the corner of Corry Street and Xenia Avenue offering their $3 all-beef frankfurters and SmartDog vegetarian hotdogs with various toppings.

“We’re excited and really happy about doing this,” said Mindy Harney, who plans to be open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. most weekdays and later into the night on summer weekends the couple isn’t vending an event elsewhere. Harney decided she wanted a cart after sampling hotdogs made by local restaurant owners Bob Swaney and Loren Williams, who were contemplating the food cart business. “Right then I knew I wanted one.”

“Someone came by the other day saying, ‘you’re living the dream!’” Mindy said. “That’s how we think of it too, and it does incite that dream to be free.”

Across Corry Street, several other mobile vendors are adding color and activity to the Village BP lot. Misael Antonio Aviles operates New Orleans Grill on the north side of the property.

“It’s very good — it’s worth the drive!” he said as he left.

How they operate

The Village Zoning Code does not specifically regulate mobile vendors, but does allow in the Central Business District “Drive-in/drive-through/carry-out establishments, including restaurants” as a conditionally permitted use. The Village has heretofore not enforced the permitting for the vendors. But due to the recent proliferation of food carts and trailers in town, according to Village Assistant Planner Ed Amrhein, this week the Village will begin mandating that all property owners hosting vendors obtain conditional use permits for “a use we are inclined to allow but which we want to permit only on a case-by-case basis at a public hearing at which we reserve the right to apply conditions, such as parking, screening, fencing, etc.” Amrhein said. Permit applications are due to the Village by the end of April, in time for a public hearing to be scheduled in May, according to Amrhein.

Another reason for the recent enforcement action was a complaint the Village received last week about the insufficient parking space at Village BP. According to code, service stations are required to have at least six off-street parking spaces, several of which are currently being occupied by the French fry trailer at BP.

“The complaint generated a deeper look at the code and how we regulate such businesses,” Amrhein said.

Opinions about mobile sales

Because of the difference in operating standards between a brick and mortar business and a mobile one, some established business owners have concerns about their more versatile and adaptible counterparts. Mobile businesses don’t have buildings to take care of, and therefore don’t have property taxes to pay, nor insurance or group advertising costs. Their start-up costs are estimated to be about $5,000-$25,000, which is a fraction of what it costs a business in a dedicated space, according to an article about mobile vendors in the Columbus Dispatch last year. And many of the vendors neither live locally nor employ local residents.

“For me, it’s a little unfair,” Steve Current of Current Cuisine said this week. “There’s only so much food you can sell in one concentrated area, and if they’re doing it cheaper, of course it’s going to affect us because it takes away from our customer base.”

One restaurant owner also said that while he sometimes bristles at the thought of mobile vendors, they do add a funky, festive atmosphere and are “kind of cool for the downtown.” And they offer a place for a buyer who wouldn’t sit down for a meal anyway. Local resident Karl Colón, director of the Greene County Library, agreed. He is often called to travel between all four branches of the library system in one day, when lunch on the go is imperative.

In the meantime, mobile vending has become a national trend, according to articles in the Columbus Dispatch reporting on food cart cultures and conflicts in Athens and Delaware, Ohio, both of which restrict the number of vendors and their hours of operation, and Cincinnati, which in 2010 designated three city-owned locations where the vendors could operate until 3 a.m.

“This is something the town needed,” Mindy Harney said. “It’s for pedestrians who want to be outside and walk around for lunch.”

Some vendors say Chicago police have gone so far as to track their planned whereabouts via social media — trucks often announce their locations for the day on Facebook and Twitter — and intercept them before they open.

In one such incident a food truck driver had just pulled up but had yet to serve any customers when a police officer approached and told him he was ticketing him — based on his Facebook posting.

“You can’t get me for premeditated selling of a cupcake,” the driver protested.

In that case, the officer eventually relented, but ticketed him anyway for parking in a loading zone.

On other occasions, food-truck drivers have received tickets for operating too close to an existing food establishment, which can carry a $500 fine and more than wipe out a day’s receipts.

Some believe the crackdown has been especially severe since a group of food truck operators met with city officials last month to press their case for an ordinance that would make it easier for them to do business.

Get The All NEW iPad FREE!

During that meeting city officials casually asked about the best truck locations. In the days immediately afterward, police showed up at each spot and either ticketed the trucks or ordered them to move.

A police department spokesman denied any citywide enforcement directive concerning food trucks but was unsure whether a particular district had made them a priority.

If you don’t get downtown much, then you might not realize the summer of 2011 marked the first real emergence of food trucks in Chicago. By the end of the summer, it seemed like they were everywhere.

Judging by the long lines during lunch, young office workers especially like them, despite restrictions that preclude operators from cooking or preparing food on site.

Obviously, existing brick-and-mortar restaurants feel much less kindly about these mobile businesses, especially when they’re parked on the street outside their establishments.

If a restaurant can’t compete with a rival that doesn’t even offer its customers a place to sit, what does that say about the restaurant?

Restrictions, which preclude food trucks from operating within 200 feet of any business that serves food, make it nearly impossible to operate legally in the Loop. The trucks have been known to push their limits by occupying loading zones.

Vancouver city councillor Heather Deal remembers reading a New York Times Magazine article about street food vendors in the Big Apple and wondering why there wasn’t much more than ice cream, hot dogs and roasted chestnuts for sale on Vancouver streets.

“We have a city of food and foodies and restaurants and local food and none of that is reflected in our food carts,” Deal recalls thinking as she read the article in 2008.

The same year, she set out to change that, beginning with a proposal to city council in March of 2008.

And thanks to that proposal Vancouver has 103 stationary food carts on its streets. But while the city’s relatively successful program continues to grow, it’s worth noting that the New York model that helped shape it isn’t without it’s own troubles–specifically too many regulations causing too many headaches for vendors. Spacing Vancouver brought it to our attention that the situation was enough for one group, the Center for Urban Pedagogy, to take it upon themselves and create a colourful how-to guide for street vendors looking to avoid the stiff penalties associated with New York’s many vendor rules and regulations. From Civic Center:

Vendor Power! translates the most commonly violated rules into accessible diagrams. It also illustrates vendors’ rights and includes text in English, Bengali, Chinese, Arabic, and Spanish. The guide also serves as an educational/advocacy tool and includes a poster full of fun facts on the history and challenges of NYC street vending, personal vendor stories, and policy reform recommendations.

In Vancouver, once a vendor has a permit, the rules are fairly straightforward (at least, it seems, compared to New York’s). The biggest complaint for our own food cart program is that there are too many barriers and regulations in front of would-be vendors. These of course are the same headaches that are said to have brought about the end of the popular Coma Food Truck.

A national policy on street vendors was released by the Central government in 2009 and the prime minister had written to the state governments to implement it. There was a policy in 2004 also but no government had taken seriously the plans to improve the lot and working conditions of the vendors.

Recently another national consultation was held and the national association of street vendors has demanded a Central legislation which would legalise their rights. The Centre had once formulated a model bill, but the states did not adopt it. Though it is the states and lower level civic authorities which should act on the matter, they have been indifferent.

Street vending covers almost the entire range of common needs of urban population like food, vegetables, fruits and other essentials. A good number of street vendors are women and it is a major livelihood activity. But they are often driven away from streets and harassed by lower level officials and policemen.

Their wares are confiscated and they are made to pay bribes. One major demand has been for registration of street vendors at the ward level and setting apart of places for vending.

Town vending committees with representation for vendors were supposed to have been formed to regulate vending activities and to protect the vendors’ rights. Few cities have taken even the first steps to ensure that their rights are protected. In fact the trend is to drive away the vendors from city spaces on the ground that they create traffic problems. This is because they are poor and powerless.

Since street vendors are unorganised they are unable to fight for their rights. But every city dweller knows the value they render to the society because they are present in the neighbourhood and operate at the lowest retail level. Moreover every vendor supports a family which crucially depends on his or her work.

A legal framework should be created within which their rights are protected and they can work and serve the urban population. Citizens’ bodies and social organisations should exert pressure on the governments at the state and lower levels to ensure this. The vendors need security and help from the authorities and society.

The updated map draws a 200-foot no-parking-zone around every brick-and-mortar restaurant in the Downtown Vending District, which runs roughly from 18th Street east to Fourth Street and from Cole Street south to Chouteau Avenue.

The trucks also are not allowed within 200 feet of other types of street vendors or within several blocks of Busch Stadium, America’s Center and the Edward Jones Dome. A previous version of the map included suggested areas where food trucks could park; the new version does not.

“A few other notes,” the letter from the city warned. “We have been having issues with food trucks parking too close to fire hydrants or bus stops. … It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in an allowed spot.

“Please be advised, any violations of the rules and regulations shall result in a 30-day suspension or revocation of your Downtown Vending Permit.”

Looking for Great Local Deals?

The city is requiring that food-truck operators keep a copy of the map in their vehicles “to show to any police officers or license-collector representatives that you are in an allowed spot.”

While a number of approved areas remain within the vending district, some food-truck owners say their options have become limited.

“Like any new industry or trend, as soon as everyone jumps in, the regulations follow, which often makes sense. In this case, I think the city is over-regulating,” Pi Pizzeria owner Chris Sommers said. “They do need to protect existing businesses, but the 200-foot rule plus the silly Cardinals and Convention Zones are too much.”

Pi has operated a food truck in the city since 2010 and plans to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant next month in the new Mercantile Exchange building at Sixth Street and Washington Avenue.

“Trucks have been incredibly successful at getting people out of their offices, onto the streets, spending money and giving the appearance of life in downtown St. Louis,” Sommers said. “Unfortunately, these regulations will keep trucks out of downtown and more pedestrians in their offices.”

A spokeswoman for Mayor Francis Slay said the city would continue to try to work with food trucks and other downtown vendors.

“We have done our best to work with all food vendors downtown,” said the spokeswoman, Kara Bowlin. “It is our hope that this map will make it easier for food trucks to find an allowed parking spot and will alleviate the issues between trucks and restaurants during the busy summer months.”