Lower Valley Matters

Brief Updates from City Halls Across the Lower Valley

By: Laura Solis and Mike Fong, Lower Valley Matters 

October 10, 2026

On September 28, 2026, the Toppenish City Council approved regulations that would allow mobile food vendors and “food truck parks” to operate within city limits. The City Council also extended the city’s Flock camera contract for another year.

Mobile Vendors and Food Truck Parks. The Council’s vote creates a regulatory framework to allow mobile vendors and food truck parks to operate within city limits. Before the Council’s vote, ice cream trucks were the only mobile vendors allowed to operate in the City. City Manager Adam Vaughn explained that the new framework “allows for…food trucks and food truck parks within the City while ensuring compliance with applicable licensing, health, safety, sanitation, land use, and development requirements. So this isn’t a free for all, but it is giving the opportunity again for trucks to be licensed within the City of Toppenish, go through those appropriate steps, and then be able to operate their food trucks for our residents.”

The City Manager said that the City is currently in discussions with Kip Ramsey to site a food truck park within the fenced lot behind Topp Stop.

The proposed ordinance passed 4-1, with Mayor Pro Tem George Garcia and Councilmembers Laura Canfield, Naila Prieto Duval, Josh Garza voting in favor and Councilmember Cristian Sanchez voting against it. In supporting the amendment, Prieto Duval said: “I just appreciate that there is a clear path for food trucks to operate within the city and there is a clear path for a food truck park… I’m really excited for the opportunity.” 

Flock Contract Renewal. The City Council also voted to extend the Flock camera contract for another year at a cost of $30,000. The new contract scales back the number of cameras from 25 to 12. 

City Manager Vaughn addressed community members’ concerns about the cameras, stating: “[W]e do understand that it is a very…large responsibility for us to be operating these cameras…[T]hese cameras can only be used in connection with gross misdemeanor crimes, felony crimes, and missing persons cases. Under no circumstances can they be used for immigration enforcement, to identify or monitor individuals seeking or providing healthcare services, to monitor lawful First Amendment activity, or to track or collect information regarding activity protected by the Washington State Constitution or the United States Constitution… We have an audit process that we will ensure that our cameras are being used correctly.” 

The resolution passed 4-1, with Mayor Pro Tem Garcia and councilmembers Canfield, Garza, and Sanchez voting in favor of the contract extension and Councilmember Prieto Duval voting against it.

Before the vote, Councilmember Prieto Duval stated: “I just want to ask the Council to consider that the $30,000 could potentially be used to support hiring an additional officer…it could potentially pay 1/3 of their salary without benefits…I know that there is evidence that it has been misused…Even though I trust our officers, I trust our staff, I can’t say that about other agencies that may have access to our cameras through back door access or through other agencies or side door access. So for that reason, I can’t support this.” 

Mayor Pro Tem Garcia said in explaining his support for the cameras that they “ha[d] solved a couple of crimes that have occurred in the City. One person of interest was caught not too long ago with the Flock system…He had done a couple of shootings, one in the City and one Granger.” Councilmember Canfield added, “We have a lot of people that are missing on this reservation, a lot of people that are missing in this town…I think it would be valuable in that sense as well.”