We appreciate the lively community discussion on bringing food trucks, new business, and activity into the City.

The City Council will discuss this topic further at their May 6 Work Session, which is open to the public. The work session will be at the Middle School Activity Center, at 6:30 pm.

Currently, the City does promote events which include food trucks through the Main Street program. Friendship Festival and Independence Day Celebration are two of these. These events are planned with consideration of our Downtown businesses. Increasing activity and opportunities for the community to enjoy the downtown is great for our merchants.

The City Council adopted a Peddlers Ordinance, after extensive study and deliberation, last year. The brick and mortar restaurants downtown expressed to the City Council that their interests be balanced with the interests of food truck operators which do not have the same property tax and physical space expenses. This ordinance allows food trucks to operate, with permission of the property owner, on Commercial properties with appropriate business licenses. The full text of the ordinance can be viewed here.

Expanding outdoor dining is very attractive for a downtown, and enabling creative ways of expanding appropriate commercial opportunities while balancing the needs and concerns of our existing business community is beneficial to all and input on how best to meet this challenge is always appreciated.