By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The discussion over food truck rules in Bowling Green erupted into a verbal food fight Wednesday evening. But when it was over, rules allowing food trucks to operate in the city were ready to move on to City Council.
On one side of the dispute was council member Bill Herald, who had spent countless hours covering every possible angle of the mobile food truck issue in a 180-page slide presentation.
On the other side were council members Sandy Rowland and John Zanfardino, who wanted to move along the process, stop reviewing the slide presentation, and instead discuss a one-page food truck permit proposed by Rowland.
“We talked about the size of this report,” Rowland said to Herald, referring to council members asking the committee to move along the process. “It’s taken far too long at this point.”
While the committee has held eight meetings, they took place over a condensed space of less than two months, Herald said. He stressed that the one-page permit proposal “isn’t as rich with detail,” as his 180-page report.
Herald asked his fellow council members to give him a half hour to get through his executive summary of 21 pages.
“I think we’ve been thorough. We’ve been comprehensive,” Zanfardino said.
“I don’t mean to be argumentative up here,” Zanfardino said, but added that he wanted Wednesday’s meeting to end with a plan that council as a whole could review.
Rowland agreed, and pushed for a product that could go before City Council soon.
But both agreed to let Herald start through his executive summary. As they studied the slides, Rowland and Zanfardino pointed out unnecessary specifics or redundancies. For example, there was no need to stipulate that the food sold has to be legal, or to identify the type of vehicles allowed.
The locations where food trucks would be permitted was narrowed down to not allow the vehicles on Main Street, Wooster Street or any of the sides streets one block off of those.
Those restrictions are due to safety on the state routes, which don’t have much spare room.
“It’s just not made for it,” Herald said of the downtown streets.
Rowland and Zanfardino agreed.
“I’m personally trying to strike a balance” between local concerns and mobile food vendors, Zanfardino said.
Food trucks will also not be allowed in city parking lots unless for special events.
But Rowland said she has identified several locations in town where food vendors could set up. “There are a lot of places where people gather,” she said.
On her list was Wooster Green, where food trucks would be allowed in the bus drop off section of South Church Street, at city parks, during Winterfest, during Firefly Nights in the summer, in private parking lots and neighborhood gatherings.
Rowland and Zanfardino suggested the city try a pilot program that would allow problems to be ironed out as they arose.
“During the trial period, I truly feel the administration and council would welcome conversations with vendors,” Rowland said.
At that point in the meeting, the discussion had been going on more than a half hour and Herald’s executive summary still was not completed. So Rowland suggested that the committee shift gears and move on to her short permit proposal.
“I’m incredibly opposed to that,” Herald said. “I don’t want to negate all the work we’ve done for saving some time.”
But Rowland and Zanfardino said it would take another 45 minutes to finish the executive summary – and both insisted the committee move onto the permit proposal so it could be presented to City Council.
Herald was alone in wanting to continue through the summary pages.
“Lesson learned. Don’t go above and beyond,” he said.
The permit proposed by Rowland offered three types of food truck permits – one for general operation for up to 365 days a year, one for mobile food vendor special events, and one for general special events.
All food trucks will be required to have a state mobile food vendor license, have $1 million in liability insurance, and register with the city’s income tax division. The vehicles must maintain a “visibility triangle” for safety, and follow city ordinances.
If located in a parking spot, all parking and traffic laws must be followed, no additional seating or tables may be placed in parking spots, signs must conform to zoning laws, and water and electric plans must be submitted. If set up on the sidewalk, a four-foot path must also be maintained for pedestrian traffic.
Initially, it was suggested that an annual permit of $500 be charged for vendors who want a year-round license. However, in an effort to not discourage mobile vendors, it was recommended that the amount be left open for now, and be based on the administrative costs to operate the program.
The permit proposal will be presented to City Council in May, with the hopes of having food trucks operating in Bowling Green when the BGSU students return in late summer, Zanfardino said.
“I think they’re a benefit to the town,” he said.
