Patterson Irrigator

Oralia Virgen orders food from El Pato Loco employee Laura Reyes in June 2007. Patterson's planning commission gave recommendations for new ordinances regulating such mobile food vendors during its meeting last week. Irrigator file photo.

However, by the end of the meeting, the commission and Virgen agreed on most points. The one issue that remained in conflict was a proposed rule that would allow the city to deny a vendor the necessary certifications if there were too many 9-1-1 incidents involving that vendor. Virgen said that left the door open for someone to make erroneous 9-1-1 calls that could result in a vendor losing their right to sell.

“You’re exposing us,” Virgen said.

Commissioners left the provision in their recommendation, which passed with a 4-0 vote. The proposed rules will be sent to the Patterson City Council, which has final say in the matter. The council is expected to review the rules at its next meeting Tuesday.

The revision process started when Councilman Sam Cuellar said there might be too many taco trucks close to the corner of M and First streets. At the time, he said there had been as many as six at that location.

Almost a year later, Cuellar said he hasn’t heard any more complaints about the trucks, nor has he been involved in drafting the new rules.

Some of the new rules require trucks to be on a paved area, limit how many trucks can be in a given space and limit hours of operation. However, only the operational rules — such as when a vendor can be open for business — will apply to existing vendors.

Because many of the rules would only apply to new vendors, Virgen said he and the people he represented were satisfied with the ordinances.

“We want to get on with out lives,” Virgen said. “These are not Fortune 500 companies. These are humble people serving humble people.”

To reach John Saiz at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Comments (1)

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Orale.....Pa*s it already.....
written by Doc Holliday , June 02, 2008

Pa*s it alreaday.....Mobile vendors need to follow the health codes like all the others...If you don't like the rules, leave....go sell somewhere else where these rules don't exist....Pa*s it NOW!!!....

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