Downtown ready for food trucks
- Details
- Published on Wednesday, 15 April 2015 15:26
- Written by Paul Gordon
Peoria is ready to get with the latest trend in food, at least on a trial basis.
In about a month or so food trucks, which often are colorful vehicles offering food that’s tough to find anywhere else, will start setting up shop in downtown Peoria, complementing the food carts that have dotted the blocks around the Peoria County Courthouse for many years.
The Peoria City Council on Tuesday voted to allow up to three of the trucks in the downtown area, to be parked along Hamilton Boulevard next to the Courthouse Square so as to minimize traffic problems. The official season for the trucks will be abbreviated, June 1 through Dec. 31.
At-Large Councilman Ryan Spain said after the meeting that the trucks will be limited to number and space in the downtown area, but will be able to be open on evenings and weekends, as well as weekday lunch hours.
But Spain was concerned about whether the cost of parking a food truck downtown will be a deterrent. “I hope we aren’t pricing it too high for some people,” he said.
The council set the fee for the downtown trucks at $3,400 a year, or $2,400 for an existing Peoria restaurant owner. For the rest of 2015 the fees will be prorated to $1,700 and $1,200, respectively.
Outside the downtown region the food truck fees would be $300 a year.
The council also voted to delay final action governing food truck for the rest of the city outside of the downtown region. Council members were concerned that the ordinance as written did not restrict how many food trucks could be parked in each council district or where they would be allowed. The only locations restrictions in the ordinance would prohibit the food trucks from parking in residential areas or within 300 feet of established, brick-and-mortar restaurants.
That ordinance likely will be brought back for a vote in May after city staff answers those concerns.
Another concern was that the ordinance doesn’t clearly spell out how receipts will be collected so the city can ascertain sales taxes. It was why Councilman Eric Turner voted against the downtown food truck ordinance. “We aren’t talking about our money; this is the people’s money,” Turner said, noting concerns about city revenues was foremost on the minds of people he talked with during the recently concluded at-large council election. “We need revenue,” he said.
Assistant City Manager Chris Setti said the ordinance does call for the food truck proprietors to show sales numbers in order to get their license renewed. But Turner said how that will be done was not clearly defined and he would not support the ordinance until it is.
Spain acknowledged the ordinance was not perfect, agreeing with Assistant City Manager Chris Setti that this is, for now at least, a pilot project. “We’ll adjust as needed” after this year, he said.
