Legislation Details

File #: O-25-26    Version: 1 Name:
Type: Ordinance Status: Agenda Ready
File created: 8/10/2026 In control: City Council
On agenda: 9/14/2026 Final action:
Title: Mobile Food Service Vendors — Historic District Special Events For the purpose of restoring the operation of mobile food service vendors in the City's Historic District to permit their participation in a special event organized by a qualifying business association, as well as a special event organized by the City; and generally relating to the areas of operation of mobile food service vendors.
Sponsors: Brooks Schandelmeier, Harry Huntley
Indexes: Economic Matters Committee
Attachments: 1. O-25-26 First Reader, 2. O-25-26 Legislative Summary, 3. O-25-26 Staff and Staffing Impact Report, 4. O-25-26 Fiscal Impact Note
Date Ver.Action ByActionResultAction DetailsMeeting DetailsVideo
No records to display.

title

Mobile Food Service Vendors - Historic District Special Events

For the purpose of restoring the operation of mobile food service vendors in the City's Historic District to permit their participation in a special event organized by a qualifying business association, as well as a special event organized by the City; and generally relating to the areas of operation of mobile food service vendors.

body

City Council of the

City of Annapolis

 

Ordinance 25-26

 

Introduced by: Alderman Schandelmeier

Co-sponsored by:  Alderman Huntley

 

Referred to: Economic Matters Committee

 

AN ORDINANCE concerning

 

Mobile Food Service Vendors - Historic District Special Events

FOR                     the purpose of restoring the operation of mobile food service vendors in the City's Historic District to permit their participation in a special event organized by a qualifying business association, as well as a special event organized by the City; and generally relating to the areas of operation of mobile food service vendors.

 

BY                     repealing and reenacting with amendments the following portions of the Code of the City of Annapolis, 2026 Edition: Section 7.40.090(B)(1)

 

WHEREAS,                       O-29-23, adopted by the Council on January 22, 2024, changed § 7.40.090 of the City Code to expand food trucks, designated as a mobile food vendor by the City of Annapolis, outside the City’s Historic District, but it also limited food trucks in the Historic District to a specific category of special events designated annually by the City Council; and

 

WHEREAS,  Food trucks are also used in the Historic District for another type of special event, those operated by a qualifying local business association, such as the First Sunday Arts Festival; and

 

WHEREAS,                      Rather than require a qualifying business association to obtain individual Council approval for each special event, this Ordinance restores the standing authorization that applied prior to the adoption of O-29-23; now, therefore,

 

SECTION I:                     BE IT ESTABLISHED AND ORDAINED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that the Code of the City of Annapolis shall be amended to read as follows:

 

City Code Title 7 - BUSINESS LICENSES, TAXES, AND REGULATIONS

Chapter 7.40 - Peddlers, Hawkers, Itinerant Merchants, and Mobile Vendors

 

Section 7.40.090  Areas of operation and operating restrictions.

 

A.                     Mobile Vendors. A licensee, or person acting for or on behalf of a licensee, shall only engage in the business of a peddler, hawker, itinerant merchant, or transient vendor in the following circumstances:

1.                     When a mobile vendor is selling commodities or services on public property outside the historic district where the sale of those commodities or services is a use permitted without a special exception;

2.                     When conducting sales in residential zones, pursuant to Chapters 21.42-21.47, outside the historic district. Mobile vendors operating under this paragraph may not remain in a neighborhood longer than thirty minutes during a three-hour period:

3.                     As part of a special event that is organized by a business association that has a principal place of business within the City of Annapolis and that represents commercial enterprises in the immediate area of the proposed operation;

4.                     As part of a special event within the Waterfront Maritime Eastport (WME) and Waterfront Mixed Maritime (WMM) zoning districts.

5.                     In the Historic District, as set forth in Chapter 21.56, as part of a special event that is organized by the city when the licensee is a commercial enterprise in the immediate area of the special event;

6.                     When a mobile vendor is engaged in any of the activities described in Section 7.40.020(A);

7.                     On those days of the year and at those places and times designated from time to time by resolution or ordinance of the City Council.

B.  Mobile Food Service Vendors (also known as “food trucks”).

1.                     Historic District. Mobile food service vendors are allowedauthorized to operate in the City’s Historic District as defined in Chapter 21.56 only as part of a special event organized by the City per Chapter 14.18 when participating in:

a.                     A special event organized by the City per Chapter 14.18; or

b.                     Special events described in subsections A(3) or A(5).

 

SECTION II: AND BE IT FINALLY ESTABLISHED AND ORDAINED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that this ordinance shall take effect upon passage.