KENT, Conn.—The Board of Selectmen last week delayed action on a proposed ordinance governing the operation of food trucks in the town. Questions were raised about time limits that should be set for use of the trucks for private events and the selectmen decided to seek clarification from town counsel.
Under the proposed regulation, Town Counsel Randy DiBella defined a food truck as a “motorized vehicle or trailer equipped with food preparation, and/or prepared food storage and/or cooking facilities from which food sales or food distribution may be provided directly to customers or consumers …” They would be prohibited from operation in town unless engaged for private events on private property. They could also be used for town-sponsored events.
Selectman Lynn Harrington asked if, for instance, the ordinance would allow food trucks for a wedding staged at the Kent Falls Brewing Co., and Selectman Lynn Mellis Worthington opined that it should if the brewery were closed to other trade on the day of the wedding.
The part of the proposed ordinance that caused consternation was the sentence that dictates “… operations shall be permitted for no more than___hours during any such event. Such engagements may not continue beyond___days in a 30-day period.”
Worthington noted that the number of hours and days had not been defined, suggesting that a six-hour timeframe would be sufficient for most events. The other board members endorsed that limitation.
What really stumped the selectmen was the limit on the number of days a truck could be used in a 30-day period. “Is that consecutive days or the number of days allowed in a month?” Worthington asked.
“That sentence needs to be looked at,” agreed Harrington. “Is it one day here and one day there?”
The item was tabled until clarification can be received.
Consideration of creating an ordinance grew out of a request from Kent resident Gregoire Pye, owner of Crepe Royale, who wanted to establish a fixed, food truck service on the property owned by Motoriot at 21 Bridge Street.
In his email to First Selectman Eric Epstein, he said his goal was to establish “a clean, quiet, quality food truck” that would serve “students, residents, and visitors while fully respecting the character and expectations of the town.”
He said the project would not be a traditional mobile food truck, but would be “stationary, silent and located entirely on private property with no impact on public streets, parking or traffic.”
Resident Matt Starr wrote the selectmen in support of allowing food trucks to operate in town, noting that they are already restricted from parking along state roads, that they require a permit from the town and must meet all health regulations. “The town should not try and prevent commerce and competition, only provide fair and consistent permitting,” he said.
While the food truck ordinance was tabled, the Selectmen agreed to take three other ordinances to a July town meeting. The first would amend the ordinance that created the Cemetery Committee to add two more cemeteries to its charge. Another would prohibit property owners from depositing materials such as snow, leaves, grass clippings and the like in a public right of way, and a third would update the ordinance restricting commercial bus travel on Spooner Hill and Bulls Bridge Road. The amendment would allow use of the roads if routes 7 and 341 are closed.
The board discussed holding a special meeting in June to further discuss several other ordinances, including purchasing procedures and policy, use of municipal vehicles, fire apparatus access and fire lanes, solid waste and recycling, an Economic Development Commission, the Lake Waramaug Interlocal Agreement, and the Inland Wetland Commission’s membership.
