The town of East Hartford is seeking local food truck operators after the Town Council unanimously approved an ordinance Tuesday night revising its regulations to streamline the application process.
Connor Martin, the mayor’s chief of staff, said today that food trucks were allowed on private property, but the new ordinance will let them to set up shop on town property after applying for a permit.
Martin said the town would begin promoting food trucks sometime in mid-June or July, once the ordinance goes into effect.
“We’re in the final stages of finalizing our rules and regulations for our food trucks in town that will live with our town’s Health Department,” Martin said.
Mayor Mike Walsh said Tuesday night that his office was waiting for the ordinance to pass to engage more with food truck operators for the town’s upcoming Memorial Day parade, which will be a “jumping off point” for bringing more food trucks to town.
“Any food truck that exists in East Hartford, we want to have them operate in East Hartford,” Walsh said.
Martin said Wednesday morning that The Rolling Roti, an East Hartford-based food truck, will serve entrees at the parade alongside La Mesa Food Truck from Niantic and Dope Fried Food. Ice Cream for a Dream from Hartford and Dude’s Donuts will also serve desserts from their trucks at the event.
“For the most part, most of these vendors reached out to us once we put out the call for vendors for the parade” alongside craft vendors, service organizations, and other booths, Martin said, adding that some had to be rejected due to limited capacity.
Town Council Chairman Richard Kehoe said Tuesday night that the goal of the ordinance was to make the application process for food trucks cleaner and more predictable, benefiting both food truck operators and hungry residents and workers.
“We’re hopeful that this will encourage food trucks to offer their particular meals, or whatever they’re selling, and create an opportunity for the people who live in town and work in town to have other options available to them,” Kehoe said.
The approved ordinance aligns the local definition of food truck with that of the state’s Public Health Code, authorizes the town’s Director of Health and Social Services to issue licenses to food truck operators, and clarifies that food trucks are regulated separately from hawkers, peddlers, and other salesmen.
The town’s code of ordinances contains a section defining hawkers and peddlers as individuals who travel within or between municipalities selling, bartering, or carrying “any goods, wares, merchandise, including articles of food, either on foot or from any animal or vehicle.”
The newly passed ordinance defines food trucks separately as “itinerant food vending establishments,” and exempts them from being defined as hawkers or peddlers.
Kehoe said Tuesday night that food truck operators will have to indicate where they intend to set up service on a defined map of permitted areas in their application to the health director. The police department will also be consulted to minimize or eliminate any traffic impacts or safety concerns, he said.
Martin said today that allowing trucks on town property would promote competition, allow event organizers to contract them at town parks and buildings, and provide more lunch option in the town’s business districts.
“It’s another goal to make East Hartford, or sections of East Hartford, a destination town,” Martin said.
Town Councilman John Morrison said Tuesday night that he has heard residents express interest in having more food trucks around town.
“Now we have an opportunity for folks to come in,” Morrison said.
In other business Tuesday, the Town Council set a date for a public hearing on the Charter Revision Commission recommendations at its regular meeting on May 17.
Vice Chairman Don Bell said Tuesday night that state statute requires Town Council to hold such a public hearing, and that residents are encouraged to attend to comment on the recommendations and the town’s charter.
