Oxford has welcomed food trucks after approving a new ordinance Tuesday that helps manage the mobile eateries, which have recently begun popping up around town.

The ordinance does not circum- vent any state laws on the books regarding regulations of food trucks.

The ordinance addresses pushable food carts, like a hot dog stand, and a food truck, that is mobile and has a working kitchen inside.

Each mobile food cart or truck will be required to have a permit from the city of Oxford and a food vending permit from the Mississippi Department of Health. The carts or trucks will be subject to inspection by the Oxford Fire Department. The food trucks cannot park on public, city-owned property, only on private property, or property owned by the city but leased to a private entity, like the Powerhouse or the new pavilion on Bramlett Boulevard. The owner of the food truck or cart must have written permission from the prop- erty owner to operate and all truck or cart owners must have valid insurance of $500,000 per mobile.

Food vending permits will cost $250 a year. Right now, food trucks are only allowed in areas currently zoned for business; however the Board of Aldermen will vote in two weeks to allow food trucks inside multi- unit developments and planned unit developments with a special exception permit approved by the city and permission from the property manager.

The food trucks will be allowed to operate from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday-Wednesday and 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday and Friday. The sale of alcohol from any food truck is prohibited.

The ordinance goes into effect in 30 days.

City considers helmet law

Aldermen will be considering a new helmet law, requiring any- one 1 to 16 years old to wear a helmet when riding a bicycle, electric assisted bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device (not for medical reasons), in-line skates, roller skates, skate shoes, motorized foot scooters, scooters, self-balancing electric scooters, hover board, skate boards and more.

On Tuesday, the board decided to allow the Oxford Pathways Commission to review the proposed ordinance and make any suggestions to enhance the proposed ordinance and then the aldermen would vote the ordinance after three readings.

As written now, a parent would receive a warning on the first violation, a $25 fine for the second violation and a $100 violation for the third and subsequent violation.

The ordinance also requires helmets to have either a neck or chin strap fastened while the rider is in motion.

The ordinance would not apply to wheeled devices designed and used for medically-related reasons.

The ordinance also would out-law people from towing others unless the person being towed had a helmet on.