Katherine Green Robertson: Food trucks hit speed bump at Birmingham City Council

  When you hear the phrase "burdensome regulations," what comes to mind? The U.S. EPA’s endless list of red-tape and hefty compliance costs or the thousands of pages of onerous regulations contained in the Affordable Care Act? Especially in business, regulatory burdens are synonymous with federal agencies; yet, for small businesses and independent citizens, some of the most oppressive regulations originate at the local level.

  This week, the Birmingham City Council passed an ordinance that establishes a general operating permit fee for food trucks, creates "food zones" where trucks can set up, requires that the trucks be parked at least 150 feet from existing restaurants, and limits the hours of truck operation from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. with some exceptions.