SPRINGDALE -- Residents could have access to more food trucks in the future if officials amend a city ordinance.
The City Council Ordinance Committee discussed the city's rules for food trucks on Monday. Officials decided to discuss the subject because there has been more interest in food trucks recently, said Ernest Cate, city attorney. More food vendors might set up downtown if the rules are less strict, which could help economic development in the area, Cate said.
AT A GLANCE
Committee Action
• The Ordinance Committee forwarded an amendment to an ordinance related to parking motor vehicles in residential areas to City council with recommendation for its approval.
• The Police and Fire Committee forwarded an ordinance to waive competitive biding for the purchase of extrication equipment for the Fire Department to City Council with recommendation or its approval.
• The Police and Fire Committee forwarded a resolution authorizing the purchase of two fire engines and extrication equipment to City Council with recommendation for its approval
Source: Staff Report
City officials did a trial run with a food truck downtown a few weeks ago to see if anyone would be interested, Cate said. The Baller Food Truck was in a parking lot on Emma Avenue and it generated a lot of interest.
Springdale's rules for food trucks were created between 2007 and 2008 when more mobile vendors started to appear across the city, Cate said. Officials noticed they didn't have an ordinance for the vendors and decided to create one.
Distance requirements are part of that ordinance, Cate said. Vendors must be at least 50 feet away from an intersection or crosswalk; at least 50 feet away from any driveway, loading zone or bus stop; at least 50 feet away from any fire hydrant or fire escape and at least 50 feet from any building entrance or exit, according to the ordinance.
Cate said these requirements are an issue downtown and were an issue when the Baller Food Truck was there. He said it might be an option to add exemptions to the ordinance for the downtown area.
Doug Sprouse, mayor, mentioned the Baller truck was in a public parking lot. He said they could designate a specific area for food trucks downtown. Vendors won't be able to use the parking lot in the long run because there will be a creek there when the second phase of Turnbow Park is completed, said Jim Reed, chairman of the risk management and technology committees.
Food trucks downtown could also be done as a city event, Sprouse said.
"The food truck movement is very popular right now," he said.
Eric Ford, chairman of the Police and Fire Committee, suggested that officials look into how other cities handle food trucks. Aldermen agreed to look at surrounding cities and bring the topic back for discussion at the Sept. 15 Committee meeting.
Aldermen also forwarded a resolution to amend the 2014 budget of the Springdale Police Department to City Council with recommendation for its approval.
Kathy O'Kelley, police chief, explained that there is excess money in the Department's regular salaries account that she would like transferred to the equipment account. The amount she would like transferred is $310,000 and would be used to upgrade the Department's communications equipment.
The money would help the department upgrade their analog radio system to a digital radio system, according to meeting documents. The technology now in use is "antiquated," and the new equipment will allow communications to be more reliable.
NW News on 08/19/2014