Village staff proposed a food truck pilot program that may allow vendors to set up shop within Village limits Tuesday night. The Village Board is expected to vote on the measure soon.
Although the Village has allowed food vendors, such as Papa Johns, to sell within Village limits before, Village staff believes it is time to formalize a program that mirrors what other communities have allowed.
Community Development Director Kelly Pfeifer said the plan is designed so that food vendors will not be able to compete with established commercial businesses or vendors raising money for various civic organizations within Mahomet. Vendors will also have to abide by noise ordinances and apply for additional permits to sell during hours when the Mahomet Parks and Recreation Department uses Village facilities.
While the proposed plan highlighted use of different Village parks, Mayor Sean Widener voiced concern for the potential vendor at Brent Johnson Park in the Thornewood Subdivision. Because the Village does not use the park for large sporting events, Widener said allowing vendors along the street in Thornewood may set up the pilot program for failure as traffic would be minimal.
The Village will also speak to the Mahomet-Seymour School District to talk about the possibility of allowing vendors at 13 Acres Park. The District owns the property, but the Village maintains the grounds.
Pfeifer said this pilot program “seems like a reasonable way for us to embark on this to see if it work for us.”
