Attendees at last year’s Half Corked Marathon in Oliver had a large selection of food truck vendors to choose from. The Town of Osoyoos is looking to update it’s food vendor policy and streamlining the application process. (Vanessa Broadbent photo)

By Vanessa Broadbent

Osoyoos Times

The Town of Osoyoos is looking to update its approval process for food trucks, making it simpler for street food vendors to set up in town.

The Town receives inquires about food vendor licenses on a regular basis, senior planner Don McArthur told council, but the current policy would benefit from a refresh.

Updates to the policy would streamline the application process, as well as align it with the Town’s business license bylaw and Town Centre Renewal Plan.

Applicants will be asked to offer food that doesn’t compete with existing restaurants and food vendors.

“One way to achieve diversity and vibrancy is to enable a variety of food options,” McArthur said.

“In order to ensure a diversity of food offerings, a revised policy will request that applicants outline for staff how their proposed food offerings will complement, and not compete with, existing options.”

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Director of planning Gina MacKay said the changes could increase the amount of vendors in town.

“When people phone and inquire we explain the process to them, they are not too keen on the process today and that’s why we haven’t been receiving a lot of people locating here in the summer,” she said.

“We’re hoping if we streamline the process a little bit we’ll have a better response.”

Mayor Sue McKortoff supported the policy update, noting that council had addressed a food vendor previously but didn’t see an increase.

“Anything you can do to improve and get more people involved in doing this, I think it’s a really good thing,” she said.

“We had a few around that really were good and I don’t know what happened.”

McKortoff suggested including an exit interview to the policy for vendors that choose not to return in the future.

Councillor C.J. Rhodes shared support for the policy and bylaw change as well.

“The ones that we’ve had have always been really good. Lots of residents and visitors to our community always seem to comment in a very positive way about it,” he said.

Council voted for Town staff to prepare an updated policy and bylaw amendment and present it to council at a future meeting.