Amidst concerns about public safety, the Jacksonville City Council has passed a new bill prohibiting food trucks from setting up shop at gas stations. According to First Coast News, the legislation, led by Councilman Joe Carlucci with a 12-to-7 vote, aims to mitigate potential fire hazards posed by the proximity of food trucks that use open flames near flammable substances like gasoline. Carlucci stated, "It's just one of those things where we got to kind of put safety first. And by no means do we wanna shut anyone down, we just want them to relocate to a safer location."
The ordinance, identified as 2025-0159, strictly prohibits food trucks from preparing or selling food or beverages on any property with fuel pumps, enforcing an exclusion zone within 300 feet. News4Jax quotes Carlucci speaking to the Jacksonville Planning Commission, stating, "The goal is really quite simple: Prevent highly combustible food trucks at a highly combustible gas station." Meanwhile, Jacksonville Fire Rescue Chief Keith Powers described such food truck operations as "low frequency, high risk," noting a lack of extensive data on food truck fires, especially those near gas stations.
Yet the passage of the bill has not gone without dissent and concern from various council members. During the debates, questions were raised about the evidence supporting the decision. The Jax Daily Record cited Council member Reggie Gaffney Jr., who could not support the measure due to no incidents of serious food truck fires occurring in his district over the past decade. Council member Rahman Johnson, advocating for a delay in the vote to gather more facts, was quoted as saying, "Static electricity could cause combustibility, but we don’t see people banning sweaters at gas stations, do we?"
With the decision final, food truck owners must now adjust and find new locations for their businesses, away from the fuel pumps where they once served customers. A 90-day window has been given for compliance, with a daily fine of $250 awaiting those who do not adhere.
