The Niles ordinance committee met Monday night to discuss a proposed mobile food vendor ordinance, which they could adopt at the next city council meeting.
Though mobile food vendors can contact the city for an application and potentially set up shop, there is no official ordinance to establish guidelines to do so.
According to city administrator Ric Huff, mobile food vendors have become an increasingly popular choice for some.
In attendance Monday was Steve Gargis, Southwestern Michigan College’s head chef and operator of the mobile food vendor Woodstock and Grill, which is part of Buchanan’s JML Catering. Gargis, of Niles, has helped to operate the mobile food business since last August.
“We are a part of this local community,” Gargis said. “Yes, food trucks can travel around, but we would like to keep our business as local as possible.”
Gargis said he was hoping for city leaders would develop an ordinance that was more clear and direct on how mobile food vendors can operate within Niles.
“A lot of other cities such as St. Joseph and South Bend have been proactive about the ordinance,” Gargis said. “[It] makes it easier for these businesses to operate. I hope that is what the ordinance does here.”
Committee ordinance members, who include four city
council members, read through a pre-draft ordinance that evening and at times sought for insight from Gargis.
The topic became contentious when the leaders discussed how potentially allowing more mobile food vendors to operate could impact Niles brick and mortar businesses.
Councilor Gretchen Bertschy expressed her desire to protect local brick and mortar businesses. She said a good place for mobile food vendors would be the boat dock on the south side of the bridge, which would be far enough from any downtown business, she said.
Ordinance members voted 3-1 to establish in the proposed draft that mobile food vendors must be at least 75 feet from a brick and mortar restaurant, unless they are in a city parking lot such as those at the Riverfront parking lot or Sycamore parking lot.
According to Huff, if the location is to be further specified, city council members will have to pass a resolution.
Niles Main Street Downtown Development Authority director Lisa Croteau also provided input on Monday. Croteau said that she wanted to help protect the restaurants that currently operate.
“I think you need to have discussion with restaurants that have business,” Croteau said.
Niles business owners invest a lot into their establishments, and therefore she felt they should have the chance to share how this could impact them.
She said that one option might be establishing a set food court location for mobile food vendors to go to. Many surrounding cities use this model, Croteau said.
“I do not know that the downtown can support, two, five, seven food trucks on top of the restaurants we are trying to promote,” Croteau said.
Mayor Nick Shelton agreed that mobile food vendors could find another place to go other than the Main Street area. Shelton said he believed that both mobile and brick and mortar businesses could coexist and present an opportunity to draw more people to Niles.
“Whether brick and mortar or food truck, I want entrepreneurs to be able to thrive in Niles,” he said after the meeting. “Not all entrepreneurs can afford, or desire to have, a brick and mortar location. Why should that be a burden?”
Shelton said he hopes council members can continue the discussion with local business owners.
The city council is expected to review another drafted version of the ordinance at the next meeting on Monday, March 13.
Huff said council members would also eventually seek input from local business owners to field concerns and gather input.