PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Multnomah County officials are considering new rules for food cart pods.

A proposed ordinance would increase safety inspections for food carts, including new rules and regulations.

Currently, health officials inspect the inside of individual food carts for safety but no one is inspecting the pod itself. There are no rules around the sanitation of pods.

A group of 40 health officials along with dozens of food cart and pod owners and patrons came up with ways to help regulate food cart pods to protect the community’s health.

They developed the ordinance to maintain them without constraining them. It would address concerns like wastewater, freshwater, utilities, vector control and setbacks.

“We really wanted to keep this focused on the basic sanitation need of a food cart pod. Currently, we inspect the food cards, inside of them to make sure the food they’re making is safe for people to consume, but this is really where we focus on the whole entire parking lot of where those carts are actually sitting,” health inspector Jeff said.

It is open to public comment for 30 days. A second reading of the ordinance is set for October 10.