By Josh Simon | CINewsNow.com

We find it quite ironic to see Peoria’s Mayor Jim Ardis posed here in a commercial for “SHOP SMALL”, which is a program where people support the “Small Businesses” in thier community.

PEORIA, Ill — Earlier this week the Peoria City Council voted down an ordinance that would of allowed food trucks to operate within the city limits. A local restaurant and food truck owner says it’s another case of the city not being good for business.

The owner of Meat-n-Place Jeremy Dennis already has a food truck that he uses for catering but he had hoped to expand the services by setting up shop in the parking lots of Medical complexes along Route 91 during the lunch hour but he says now he has no choice but to hit the road to other communities.

Dennis said, “It’s not going to sit empty, It’s not going to sit here in my parking lot collecting dust. There are other communities that show interest, that have a working ordinance that are strict in their own rights but not so strict that it is going to forbid me from operating in their community.”

Dennis says one of those communities he would like to take his truck to is Pekin.

MFN INSERTION:

Contact the Mayor and let him know how you feel!

Mayor Jim Ardis

City of Peoria Address:
Room 207
419 Fulton
Peoria, IL 61602

City Hall Phone:(309)494-8519
Home Phone: (309)692-1149
Cell Phone: (309)678-4758

Email: JArdis@ci.peoria.il.us

http://www.cinewsnow.com/news/local/Peoria-tells-Food-Trucks-to-Hit-the-Road-159133995.html

By Katherine Mangu-Ward | Reason.com

Mayor Jim Ardis (above) and council members Gary Sandberg, Bill Spears, Dan Irving, Clyde Gulley and Eric Turner.

Looks like the fine folks of Peoria won’t be chowing down on kimchi tacos anytime soon. This week, the city council of the Illinois metropolis voted down a proposal to offer three (three!) permits to food truck operators. It’s not like the trucks were going to be allowed to run wily nilly around the city:

The defeated ordinance would have charged truck operators $3,400 to serve food at approved locations within the Warehouse District, in front of the Peoria Civic Center and along Hamilton Boulevard next to the Peoria County Courthouse. The fee was $1,000 less for truck operators who already own a restaurant.

Outside the Downtown area, the ordinance restricted food trucks from being within 200 feet of existing restaurants.

Also, the ordinance established a 500-foot restriction on food trucks from schools, carnivals, festivals and other special events.

The whole debate started when a couple of would-be food truckers approached the city about opening up shop:

City officials had been working on crafting an ordinance for several months after a couple of food truck operators approached them about wanting to operate in Downtown Peoria during lunch hours. Two public meetings have been held and the council had previously deferred the issue so the city’s staff could provide more information and refine the ordinance.

The new rules would have replaced already allowed food carts with food trucks. Too radical for Peoria, apparently.

Peoria is not alone, unfortunately, in its battle against mobile eats.

Downtown Peoria

The proposed City of Peoria  truck vending ordinance imposes a whopping fee on any truck daring to wish to sell food in downtown Peoria. Outside of downtown? Not so much.

The city would impose a whopping $3,400 per year fee on trucks that service downtown. That fee would drop to $2,400 a year if the truck is owned by any Peoria restaurant. But if the truck doesn’t sell any food in the downtown area, the fee would be just $100 a year.

Licensees must file a performance bond of $1,000 and provide proof of general insurance naming the city as co-insured.

This revised ordinance was drafted by city staff after concerns were voiced by the city council at the April 10 council meeting. The main difference involves the fee structure. Staff is recommending mirroring the food truck permit fee with the current fee for a sidewalk vendor permit. Staff is continuing work on this issue and may have additional revisions prior to the May 8 meeting.

The proposed law would also impose some restrictions, some of then quite restrictive.

First, all locations the trucks would operate MUST be approved in advance by the city of Peoria.

To operate on private property, they need the written permission of the property owner and may operate only on property that is zoned for industrial or institutional (such as hospitals and colleges).

But to operate on public property, there are many other restrictions. The trucks may not impair or impede vehicular or pedestrian traffic, or operate within a residentially zoned area, may not operate within 100 feet of a licensed food establishment or within 25 feet of a  street or sidewalk vendor. They also may not operate within 500 feet of a city-sanctioned event (like Riverfront Market or Steamboat Days) without written permission of the event organizer. Also, the trucks would not be allowed to operate within 500 feet of a primary, middle or high school during school sessions.

This means the trucks must park 1 2/3 football-field lengths away from any school or event. And I’m not sure of any places in downtown that are 100 feet away from any licensed restaurant or food vendor. And would hurried lunch-time diners walk that distance?

Hours of operation are generally 7 a.m. to midnight. When the trucks are located within 300 feet of a residential building, hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. In downtown, there is no restriction on operating hours except when within 300 feet of a residential building (7 a.m. to midnight). Operators must provide trash bins for patrons and must remove all trash from area before leaving. Trucks are required to use a cash register capable of keeping a record of sales.

Trucks also must be licensed by the Peoria City-County Health Department.  In order to receive this license, operator must identify a permanent (“brick-and-mortar”) commissary for food preparation and storage. Both the vehicle and commissary will be regularly inspected by the Health Department. If the business operates from a commissary outside Peoria County, the commissary will be
inspected by the respective County’s health department. The vehicle will be inspected by Peoria City-County Health Department while operating within Peoria County.

http://blogpeoria.com/2012/04/28/new-food-truck-ordinance-would-protect-downtown-with-heavy-fees-and-restrictions/