By John Layton and Roger Starkey

The Collinsville City Council recently passed an ordinance that outlines regulations for food trucks, but obstacles remain before residents can get their lunches from lorries.

Food trucks have become very popular in urban areas recently and have spawned several television shows. However, the mobile kitchens are only allowed in special situations according to Madison County law.

Amy Yeager, public information officer for the Madison County Health Department, said food trucks can operate at temporary events and must apply for a food permit with the Health Department. Trucks that serve food, but do not prepare it onsite, are regulated differently, Toni Corona, Public Health Administrator for the Madison County Health Department said.

Regulating and monitoring food stored and prepared in trucks is not the same as monitoring a kitchen with a dedicated source of water and electricity, Corona said.

“I think you have to weigh the health consequences of letting a food truck operate independently and outside a special event,” Corona said. “What we have seems to be a good fit for our county.”

There is no movement towards allowing the mobile kitchens in Madison County. No requests have been made to reconsider the ordinance, Corona said.

Collinsville’s move was just to prepare the city in case Madison County does change its law, Community Development Director Mitch Bair said. Even if the county should make a change, a community could still restrict the trucks. Collinsville was reviewing and making changes to the ordinance to allow seasonal vendors, the food truck change was just a proactive step.

Elizabeth Dalton, a member of the Madison County Board and a Collinsville resident, said she thinks there are enough restaurants in Collinsville, but she has no problem with having food trucks in town.

“If [the food trucks are] certified that they can sell their products on the streets, I have no objection to it,” Dalton said.

Still, the atmosphere in Madison County for food trucks is in contrast with St. Louis and other parts of the country that have seen an explosion of mobile restaurants in recent years. The St. Louis Food Truck Association’s website lists 33 food trucks in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Across the country, the number of food trucks have been estimated at between a few thousand and three million.

Since 2011, Sauce Magazine has hosted the Food Truck Fridays series in St. Louis’ Tower Grove Park. According to Sauce, by the series’ third season in 2013, more than 20,000 people had attended the event.

Even with current regulations, something like Food Truck Friday could become a reality on the streets of Collinsville, or perhaps in the new parking lot where the post office stood for 50 years.

“Food Truck Friday could very easily be construed as a special event,” Corona said.