The proliferation of such trucks has spawned lawmakers in Sacramento, Calif.; Des Moines, Iowa; and New Orleans, among other cities, to enact legislation that mandates frequent moves during a workday, extreme distances between trucks and permanent restrooms.

In central Ohio, the trucks have faced opposition from neighborhood groups in the Hilltop and Northland areas who think they project a ragtag image.

But the city isn't looking to hinder or remove them.

Instead, it is taking steps to ensure that the trucks are clean, safe and compliant with city code (trucks that rent parking-lot space from a property owner, must operate in a commercial or industrial district, pack up and vacate nightly, and hold licenses from the city and Columbus Public Health).

Several city agencies met last year to discuss taco trucks and how to monitor them effectively, said Chris Presutti, Columbus' chief zoning official.

"There have been more applications -- and more submitted by folks without English-speaking backgrounds," Presutti said. "That's when things started needing more attention from us."

But officials determined that the current rules are working.

"We've not found anything that suggests we're underregulating (food trucks)," Presutti said.

Last year, the city issued 447 licenses for mobile-food operations, including pushcarts -- an increase of more than 50 since 2006. A license must be renewed yearly.

Trucks are inspected each year by Columbus Public Health and must display a colored sticker in their window to inform patrons of their status, department spokesman Jose Rodriguez said (a green decal indicates a passing grade).

Residents, he added, can call the city if a vendor's health standards seem to be lagging.

Recently, the city adopted more initiatives that include distributing pamphlets in Spanish (and several other languages) that detail food-service regulations and hiring two food liaisons (one Spanish-speaking) to ensure operators understand and follow the rules.

"Working with communities to serve healthy and safe food to residents and visitors should be our goal," Rodriguez said, "regardless of where they come from."

-- Kevin Joy