Current regulations require food truck vendors to obtain a temporary use permit, maintain a business license, and have health department approval. Designed by Freepik, www.freepik.com

 

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - At the Dec. 10 meeting, the Citrus Heights City Council selected MariJane Lopez-Taff to serve as mayor and Porsche Middelton as vice mayor for the upcoming year. 

The council then considered a renewal application for the state’s Pro-Housing Incentive Program (PIP), which was established in 2021 to incentivize compliance with Housing Element requirements and pro-housing policies in four categories: favorable zoning and land use, acceleration of housing production timeframes, reduction of construction and development costs and providing financial subsidies.

Pro-housing designations are approved through the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and last for three years. Citrus Heights received the designation in December 2022 and received $960,000 during the first funding round. Those funds were used to support the city’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity on the Sayonara Drive Redevelopment Project. 

If the designation renewal is approved, Citrus Heights will be eligible for up to $990,000 in this round, which could support housing rehabilitation projects, down payment assistance programs, utility infrastructure improvements and other initiatives to support affordable housing in the city. 

The application documents the city’s existing pro-housing polices, such as the permit-ready Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) program, integrated housing policies in the Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan, and interdepartmental and interagency coordination on development projects.  

Senior Planner Alison Bermudez said that through the Pro-Housing Incentive Program designation, the city is “awarded for the good work that we already do.” 

Vice Mayor Porsche Middleton highlighted the fact that not many cities are able to get this designation: “It takes a lot of hard work, a lot of preemptive planning, a lot of visioning” from both staff and council. 

The council voted unanimously to approve the Pro-Housing Incentive Program application. 

The council then discussed possible updates to the city’s code regarding mobile food vendors operating on private property for more than two hours at a time. 

Current regulations require food truck vendors to obtain a temporary use permit, maintain a business license, and have health department approval. They also need access to a public restroom and the permission of the property owner to park in their preferred location. The city limits temporary use permits at a single location to 180 days of operation, so most vendors switch to a secondary location after six months to operate year-round. 

City Planner Bermudez said there are currently four mobile food vendors that are licensed to operate in Citrus Heights. The existing code doesn’t include any distance requirements from other food trucks or established brick-and-mortar restaurants. 

A written public comment was submitted by the co-owner of R Vida Cantina on Sunrise Bouleavrd, stating that they support local food trucks to ensure more people spend their money in Citrus Heights, which benefits the continued growth of the city. But he said that since he runs a Mexican restaurant, he wouldn’t want a taco truck parked right outside his business. 

Councilmember Jayna Karpinski-Costa said there has been an ongoing issue with a taco truck parking right outside the Taqueria Tres Hermanos on Greenback Lane. She said the taco truck even sets up outdoor seating, which has caused a decline in business at the established restaurant. 

Karpinski-Costa said she would support a distance requirement to reduce competition with brick-and-mortar restaurants. There are many commercial centers without sit-down restaurants where she said a food truck would actually benefit shoppers without negatively impacting other businesses. 

Mayor Lopez-Taff said, “I am really concerned that we are limiting the success of our brick-and-mortar, which obviously are invested in our community.” She said the code needs to support all businesses operating in the city.  

Council consensus was for staff to draft potential updates to the code, prohibiting food trucks in commercial centers with sit-down restaurants or creating a distance requirement for operation, for council consideration at a future meeting. 

The council also considered amendments to the city’s animal licensing and microchipping policies. 

Currently, California state law requires that dogs be vaccinated against rabies, and local pet licensing is the primary enforcement mechanism to ensure compliance. Licensing also helps ensure lost pets are quickly returned home, reducing the strain on local animal shelters. 

There are currently 1,274 active animal licenses on record in the city. Approximately 85% of new licenses are for dogs, and 15% for cats.

The city also offers a free microchip program, which is another way to ensure lost pets are returned safely. The program began in October 2024 after a donation from Councilmember Karpinski-Costa. Over the past year, 20 animals were microchipped through the program, and staff expect the current inventory will be enough to cover the next five years at the current rate of issuance. 

Staff suggested several ways to potentially increase the rate of licensing and microchipping. Options included waiving licensing fees for the first year for puppies with their rabies vaccination or waiving first-time license fees for any cat or dog of any age with their rabies vaccination. The code could also be amended to make microchipping mandatory within the city. 

Council consensus was for staff to come back with an action item to waive the licensing fees for puppies, and to continue offering free microchipping. Councilmember Karpinski-Costa said microchipping is an important service that can be very expensive if done through a private practice veterinarian, but she said it should not be mandated. 

The next meeting of the Citrus Heights City Council is scheduled for Jan. 14, 2026.