AGENDA TITLE:
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Public Hearing to Waive the First Reading And Introduce An Ordinance Amending Lodi Municipal Code Title 9 By Amending Chapter 9.18 (Vending On Streets, Sidewalks and Private Property) to Revise Regulations Related to Mobile Food Vending, Including Permit Requirements, Location Standards, and Operational Regulations (Applicant: City of Lodi; CEQA Status: Exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) - General Rule Exemption and Section 15378, as the ordinance is not a project) (CD)
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MEETING DATE:
July 1, 2026
PREPARED BY:
Cynthia Marsh, Interim Community Development Director
recommendation
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Public Hearing to waive the first reading and introduce an ordinance amending Lodi Municipal Code Title 9 by amending Chapter 9.18 (Vending on Streets, Sidewalks and Private Property) to revise regulations related to mobile food vending, including permit requirements, location standards, and operational regulations (Applicant: City of Lodi; CEQA Status: Exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) - General Rule Exemption and Section 15378, as the ordinance is not a project).
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
At its April 15, 2026 meeting, the Lodi City Council directed staff to return with proposed amendments to Lodi Municipal Code Chapter 9.18 (Vending on Streets, Sidewalks and Private Property) related to mobile food vendor operations within the City of Lodi. Council direction included eliminating the existing vendor permit cap, strengthening operational and location standards, limiting vending activity within residential neighborhoods, establishing revised hours of operation, and restricting mobile food vendor operations within portions of the Downtown Mixed Use (DMU) zoning district. Chapter 9.18 regulates vending activities citywide, including mobile food vendors, through permitting and operational standards intended to protect public health, safety, and welfare.
The proposed amendments would eliminate the existing numerical cap on mobile food vendor permits and update operational and location standards, including residential neighborhood protections, revised hours of operation, and restrictions within portions of the Downtown Mixed Use (DMU) zoning district west of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. The amendments are intended to balance economic opportunity and small business activity with neighborhood compatibility, public safety, and effective code enforcement, while providing clearer standards for administration and enforcement of mobile food vendor activity citywide.
The Lodi Planning Commission considered the proposed amendments at its May 27, 2026 public hearing and adopted a resolution recommending City Council approval. The proposed ordinance is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) (General Rule Exemption) and Section 15378, as the ordinance can be seen with certainty to have no possibility of causing a significant effect on the environment and does not constitute a project under CEQA.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Not applicable.
FUNDING AVAILABLE:
Not applicable.