City of Coachella votes to end ice cream truck permits

The city of Coachella will no longer be issuing permits to ice cream truck drivers, and only vendors who already have permits will be allowed to continue selling.

Council members voted unanimously Thursday during a council meeting.

Local leaders say there are too many vendors already and recent crime involving drivers was more of a reason to pass the measure.

Recent run-ins with the law include one ice cream truck driver arrested for DUI and another cited for urinating inside his truck..

Last month, police arrested 40-year-old Israel Ayala for exposing himself to children on at least two occasions while selling ice cream. Ayala was charged with indecent exposure.

The city’s ice cream ordinance only applies to trucks, it does not include small pushcart vendors, which are already illegal.