NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla.-- The New Port Richey City Council is expected to hear a first reading next week of a revised ordinance that would regulate food trucks that want to operate in the city.

• City council will hear ordinance regulating food trucks
• Some business owners don't want food trucks downtown
• One issue is how close food trucks can park to restaurants

"The impetus to establish the ordinance was certainly about we want food trucks more than we want to prohibit them," said City Manager Debbie Manns.

Manns said food trucks aren't currently prohibited in the city, but there's no way to regulate them under city law.

"It does create issues, without question," Manns said. "Some of the issues relate to the fact that we don't know who the operator is, we don't know if they're insured, we don’t know if they're going to clean up after themselves."

The ordinance addresses all of that. It lays out rules for sales on public and private property. On private property, vendors have to get permission from the owner, can’t set up on the same property more than two times in 30 days, and can’t block entrances and exits or handicap access or parking. When it comes to public space, trucks can only operate at times and locations specified by permits, have to stay at least 100 ft. away from the property line of licensed restaurants, and can’t block pedestrian or vehicle traffic.

"I think it's a great idea," said Nicole Long, head server at Johnny Grits restaurant on Main St. "We have had a bad rep in the past, but if we can bring some people around and let them see what we've got going on – the growth and the changes – I really think our economy could grow."

But not all businesses are on board.

"I do have a problem with them in the downtown area. I think we would just fight it tooth and nail," said Jerry Kuss, co-owner of Rose's Bistro Off Main.

Kuss said the limit on how close trucks can park to restaurants doesn't make him feel better about the ordinance.

"It takes away. One of the things that the town is struggling to do is to get walking traffic. Walking traffic means they walk by your store, they want to stop in, they want to say hello,” Kuss said. "If you put a food truck in, it's just an inquisitive type thing. They'll stop, and that's it."

Existing businesses are being taken into account, according to Manns.

"It's really important for an ordinance like this to be balanced and thoughtful, because as much as it is fun and part of a cultural phenomenon of some sorts to have food trucks, you have to acknowledge the vestige of your local business community who have made investments in commercial kitchens and pay taxes to the city," Manns said.

"They push for the downtown area, they try to do things for the downtown area, but then they turn around and stab us in the back," Kuss said of how he views the ordinance.