NEW PALESTINE — The post on social media was enticing. It said, “Ready to eat something besides Easter leftovers?” Chomp’z Truck, a mobile food and beverage company, announced it would have a food truck in a New Palestine neighborhood one day last week for dinner.
With warmer weather and people chomping at the bit to get out and about, food trucks are becoming the norm in some county neighborhoods, and not just on weekends or for special occasions.
New Palestine officials wanted to make visits by food trucks less pricey for the small-business owners who are trying to get back into the groove amid loosened pandemic restrictions.
“Food trucks in town, it’s just sort of an up-and-coming type of thing going on nowadays, and we recognize that,” New Palestine town manager Jim Robinson said.
The town council discussed the costs of permits for food trucks during a meeting last week and opted to decrease the cost for a food truck permit from $200 to $25 per food truck.
“The town just felt like the fee was a little excessive, particularly if you were coming for just one event,” Robinson said.
After a lengthy discussion, the council voted 3-1 in favor of altering their food truck ordinance, which was created in 2016. The ordinance originally set the price of an annual permit at $200.
Vice president Clint Bledsoe, along with council members Chris Lytle and Brandee Bastin, voted in favor of the ordinance, while council member Angie Fahrnow voted against it. Council president Bill Niemier was absent from the meeting.
Fahrnow voted against the change because she doesn’t want to charge food trucks at all and felt they should be able to set up in town at no cost. Rather than a fee, Fahrnow said, the town could collect fines on food truck operators who didn’t at least register with the town.
Her main complaint was forcing food trucks that serve on private property, like the Lions Club, to pay a permit fee to the town.
“I don’t think we should be telling people what they can and can’t do on private property,” Fahrnow said after the meeting.
The first Friday of every month, the New Palestine Lions Club has been playing host to a community event that includes a handful of food trucks, card games and spirits. It’s a great way to bring the community together, Lions Club officials said.
Kelly Johnson, who handles the finances for the Lions Club, told town officials during the meeting the club would consider paying the fees for the food trucks that come to town in the future.
Ted Nolting, the town attorney, is working out the verbiage on how private entities like the Lions Club will move forward surrounding permit fees.
Lions Club officials have a three-way alcohol permit that allows for the sale of beer, wine and liquor and feel they can still make enough money to support the organization through those sales. It’s better than hitting up food truck operators for a local permit fee, Lions officials said.
Anyone selling food products directly to the consumer in Indiana is considered a “retail operator, ” according to state statue. Food truck operators must follow laws that apply to all food establishments, which must be registered through the state or the county health department. A majority of counties, including Hancock, also require a permit that usually comes with a fee.
Prior to the vote, Jennifer Siek, a member of the Lions Club and New Palestine resident, noted they were not charging food trucks to come to the Lions Club events and hoped it would stay that way. She said what Lions Club officials instead are doing is trying to bring the community back together and support small-business owners.
“The food trucks are already licensed and approved by the health department so I don’t think we need to do any more,” Siek said.
The town’s current ordinance states a permit is required for all food trucks. The only issue associated with the ordinance was the cost of the permit and rules for trucks on private property.
In the end, town officials felt a smaller permit fee was the way to go. The required paperwork will also help town officials keep track of who is coming and going into the town, Robinson said.
“Without an ordinance in place, people could just pull up, open them up, and start shelling out tacos,” Robinson said. “We have to look out for the community.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”At a glance” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Here is what New Palestine’s ordinance says about food trucks:
–A permit is required for all food trucks.
–Food trucks can’t park in any public right-of-way.
–Food trucks can’t interfere with traffic flow.
–Food trucks can’t park on any sidewalk or multi-use path. They also can’t block any driveway or any building entrance or exit.
–Food trucks can’t park in a manner that hinders access to a fire hydrant.
[sc:pullout-text-end]
