SOUTH GLENS FALLS – For several weeks, South Glens Falls mayor Nicholas Bodkin has been attempting to sway the village board into allowing a public hearing about three potential changes to local law, including one governing the village’s food truck ordinance.
Citing concern for the village’s brick and mortar restaurants, trustee Tony Girard previously stated that he was “not for bringing in food trucks.” However, at Wednesday’s meeting, Girard stated that he’s not against them, but still had many concerns over gaps in the proposed law change. Those concerns include where food trucks would be permitted to set up and how department of health regulations would be monitored and enforced, as well his previous worries for the well-being of established businesses.
Restaurateurs who spoke to The Post-Star about food trucks in an earlier story said they were OK with them
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[Read about the food trucks here.]
“I contacted a few restaurants and they weren’t real thrilled with having food trucks in their back yard,” Girard said Wednesday.
The proposed law does include language to address the areas in which food trucks may operate. They cannot block lanes of traffic for longer than five minutes, they must get permission to vend in public parks, and they cannot conduct business “within 200 feet of any school, while in session, firehouse, public building of any nature or any privately operated restaurant, tavern, coffee shop or similar business.”
One of Girard’s biggest concerns, should the law pass, was that the board retain its discretion to waive any permitting fees associated with mobile food units for the purposes of a non-profit organization’s fundraising.
“Which is what we’ve done in the past as a board, and I would hate to lose that,” he said. “I’m not against food trucks, I just want to have a code that addresses all of the issues that we actually have.”
“I’m looking at (holding a public hearing) as to get the general conscience of what the community is in favor of,” Orlow said.
“Just because we have a public hearing doesn’t mean what we present at the hearing is what we finally adopt,” Bodkin responded. “It’s a chance for the public to give us some input.”
The public hearing was set for 7:20 p.m. Nov. 1 before the board’s next meeting.
Up for discussion: the food truck law, an increase to parking ticket fees, and a law restricting the use of engine brakes throughout the village.
[Click here to view the Sept. 20 meeting agenda packet which contains the proposed laws.]
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