The City of Crookston has enacted an ordinance for food truck vendors that come to the City. Effective as of Wednesday, June 1, the City of Crookston has put an ordinance in effect with respect to Transient Merchants, including food trucks, to have and display a city license in order to operate their truck or mobile vending units in Crookston.
Transient Merchants are people that temporarily set up their businesses out of vehicles, trailers, or other portable shelters to sell or deliver products or merchandise. According to Interim City Administrator Charles “Corky” Reynolds, the ordinance is not a new law that the City recently drafted but is one that hasn’t been enforced until now due to the massive influx of food trucks coming to the City in recent years for Ox Cart Days and other events. This way, the City can monitor and have an orderly knowledge of what food trucks and Transient Merchants are selling in the City and if they are properly licensed sellers for the State of Minnesota. “It’s not meant to be looking for violations. It’s meant to let us know who’s coming in, from where, and when and make sure that they have a license from the State, either from the Department of Agriculture or another license. Ensuring that they are operating safely, and we know where and when they are, just as a matter of safety and health concerns for our citizens,” Interim City Administrator “Corky Reynolds explained. “It’s just for more order and assurance of a safe environment for these trucks,” he added. Drafts Sports Bar & Grill owner Jasmine Melsa noted that many other cities in Minnesota require licenses for Transient Merchants and food trucks to sell in them and that usually, those cities have a daily or yearly fee that Merchants have to pay in order to sell there or the cities have restrictions on where a truck can be in relation to other establishments that sell items, like restaurants or clothing stores as to not steal business from them, as most food trucks that come into cities are from other towns and aren’t purchasing materials from local businesses or donating to local fundraisers. “You look at the businesses, like Joe’s Diner in Downtown Crookston. They have food trucks on either side of them. That can’t help his business. Even for other restaurants on the other side of town, when food trucks are coming in, they’re coming in just for the day. They’re not really giving anything back to the community,” Jasmine Melsa explained. “I know there’s the satisfaction of people having them here, but the businesses that are always here are taking a hit from it. I think every single restaurant in this town has noticed a hit on the days when the food trucks are in town,” she added. With this ordinance, it will still allow food trucks and other Transient Merchants to come to Crookston to sell their products but also allow for the City to benefit from inviting them to come and provide and sponsor events.
Transient Merchant Licenses can be purchased for $100 and are valid to be used for 14 days from when they are approved until the end of the year (December 31, 2022). The 14 days can be used for consecutive days or be spread out to any 14 days they wish until the end of the year. However, Interim Administrator Reynolds has noted that he plans to make a new ordinance for individual day permits. “The ordinance itself says no more than 14 consecutive days, but we are taking a broader view of that. We’re going to ask each food truck what they intend to do and how they intend to be here, and we’ll have to make some judgments on that on an individual basis,” Interim Administrator Reynolds explained. “I am in my compacity working on a new ordinance, specifically related to food trucks, and we will have “One-day” permits, “Three-Day” permits, and we’ll take a look at that and adjust the license fee accordingly,” he added. On the application, the applicant must list their name, date of birth, their Driver’s License Number, the License Plate number of the vehicle they will sell from, a description of their vehicle, the full legal name of the business, their address, their business’s address, their business-related phone number, and a description of the products that they plan to sell or the service they will provide. They must also include the period of time they intend to be operating in the City, along with an address and phone number the City can use to reach them while they are conducting their business and a list of three locations where they have conducted business in the past. The application must be completed 14 regular business days before the applicant begins to conduct business within the City. Along with the application, they will also have to fill out a Crookston Police Department Criminal History Consent Form for the City to run a background check on them to see if they have a criminal record that may be a factor if they receive a license or not.
If you’re a Transient Merchant looking to sell your items in Crookston this year, you can go to City Hall and talk to City Clerk Ashley Rystad to get your application for your license today for $100. Applications must be completed at least 14 regular business days prior to you conducting your business within the City. If you have any questions about the application process or the ordinance, you can contact City Clerk Ashley Rystad at 218-281-4503 or call City Hall at 218-281-1232.
