The Food Truck Cometh: Chestertown Finalizes Food Truck Passes

At Monday night’s town council meeting, the Chestertown Town Council passed a resolution for a pilot program allowing food trucks access to in-town parking during designated days and hours, using defined town street areas and meeting sound standards along with fulfilling health department and insurance requirements.

Paragraph 4 of the resolution reads: “BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT the Town launch a 12 month Pilot Program that would allow a maximum of four (4) Town-licensed food trucks to conduct their food operations at the Park Row curb on the north side of the Fountain, Memorial Plaza in front of the Courthouse, and/or along Speer Road Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. beginning immediately.”

The resolution passed 3-2 with Ward 4 Councilman Marty Stetson and Ward 1 Councilwoman Liz Gross as dissenting votes.

Here is the full resolution with program requirements:

WHEREAS, Town Ordinance 01-2016, which became effective on May 9, 2016, introduced a process whereby food trucks could operate on privately owned commercial property in Chestertown by following a simple approval process, and,

WHEREAS, the Town of Chestertown wishes to accommodate the previously expressed demand for food truck operations on publicly owned streets in the Downtown area, and,

WHEREAS, the Town of Chestertown has the responsibility to insure that all the other Town Ordinances are uniformly followed and that any Town liability exposure for these private operators is considered and limited, and,

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT the Town launch a 12 month Pilot Program that would allow a maximum of four (4) Town-licensed food trucks to conduct their food operations at the Park Row curb on the north side of the Fountain, Memorial Plaza in front of the Courthouse, and/or along Speer Road Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. beginning immediately, and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT in addition to the aforementioned requirements, the provisions of Town Ordinance 01-2016 be fulfilled as well as the Pilot Program requirements of Enclosure 1 and the application (Enclosure 2) attached to this Resolution.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED THAT the Town of Chestertown reserves the right to remove vendors or terminate this Pilot Program for failures of the Pilot operators to conform with the stated requirements of the Program.

RESOLVED this 3^rd day of October, 2016 by the Mayor and Council of Chestertown.

 

PILOT PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

1. Food trucks are permitted on the north side of the fountain along Park Row, the Courthouse side of Memorial Plaza, and Speer Road- Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
2. A $10.00 daily fee, $25.00 monthly fee, $100.00 bi-annual fee and/or $200.00 annual fee must be paid in advance before commencing any operations;
3. Upon receipt of the application, the Police Chief shall conduct a background investigation of the individual or business entity;
4. A food truck or van must be properly licensed by the Motor Vehicle Administration and the Kent County Health Department that their vehicle has been adapted to the purpose of preparing and selling food to the public.
5. Food truck operators must provide proof of the State or County licenses and Health Department permits required to operate an itinerant food products concession;
6. Food truck operators provide evidence of liability insurance in an amount of at least $1,000,000. The Town must be specifically named on the policy as an additional insured;
7. No free-standing signage. No bells, whistles, horns, klaxons, or systems of sound amplification may be used at any time while in the Town limits.  Food truck operators will provide and use their own power and any generators used shall not violate Town Noise Ordinance regulations (65 dBA or less);
8. That trash cans be set out by the food trucks and said trash collected by the vendor and removed from the Town (not placed in public containers). Grease and liquid waste may not be disposed in tree pits, storm drains, the sanitary sewer system or public streets and must be removed by the owner at their expense;
9. All licenses issued must be displayed in such a manner as to be readily visible;
10. All equipment used by food trucks and other related commodities shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary manner and be subject to inspection by and comply with the rules and regulations of the Kent County Health Department and ordinances of the Town;
11. Food truck operations are discretionary by the Town and failure to follow the requirements will result in the removal of the permission to operate.