[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6231301,"mediaKeyId","3432095-3b489af511a96a90cb42573ad5b0574f","parentId",3432095,"title","Gurnee considers 500-foot buffer, licensing and designated zones for food trucks after resident, restaurateur complaints","audioSeconds",1360,"startMs",1772000,"endMs",3132000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3432095-3b489af511a96a90cb42573ad5b0574f&start=1772&end=3132","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3432095-3b489af511a96a90cb42573ad5b0574f/thumbnail_1772000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6231301/Gurnee/Lake-County/Illinois/Gurnee-considers-500-foot-buffer-licensing-and-designated-zones-for-food-trucks-after-resident-restaurateur-complaints","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6231301-cb8de2a7b28db721b2843864ef6f3b03/orig.mp4?Expires=1771213555&Signature=UPEfy5GwLjLHPfNJXrrKbbK7Bm1KTz8fwaHix7ZhctLgMEyTmGRSlCR1J~Rkzn26ecRW02K86QHj0VNtCnr~ecowIPaRtkTG2YMRgnoOEoWyhXmPpSiFvNT1-ksvpbdI5dPs788ATF40Q9lyu7ihkF44rFPqHEMT0Y4T3rrNKTKCTxlrcG7h4bkX7615Yt4jLsXa1-ea9MAybXhPgPAckczAEOr3Qs4R8RE482QXx4i9ptV3Ya-L1br~eWIXnReVjQh2BdyJlSwJZe-e0q67MTgUCIxhVILXyTc8mLJxIti9rSc~oqVDKvmVtzCjHOjmRhuv-iI5y8i50o9LN0nUUQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Village of Gurnee, IL","date","2025-05-22T00:16:42.827Z","article","GURNEE, Ill.

After receiving complaints from residents and restaurant owners about recurring food trucks, Gurnee village staff on May 19 proposed new regulations that would add licensing, location limits and other standards for mobile food vendors.

Staff described three broad approaches: an outright ban outside special events, a package of baseline regulations (licensing, hours, noise and health inspections), or a package that adds explicit protections for existing brick-and-mortar restaurants. The presentation asked trustees for direction on two specific measures: a 500-foot buffer around existing restaurants and an annual license fee proposed at $1,500.

What staff said

Staff said the village currently has a single regulation that prohibits food trucks from parking in residentially zoned areas (adopted in Feb. 2021). Beyond that, staff said there are no village-specific rules requiring food-truck licensing, locations, hours, or caps on generator noise. Lake County Health Department continues to handle health inspections.

For enforcement and fairness the staff recommendation included:

- A possible 500-foot buffer measured from existing restaurants to protect brick-and-mortar businesses. Staff displayed a map showing large swaths of Grand Avenue and other commercial corridors that would be affected.
- A proposed annual license fee of $1,500, derived by staff from a per-square-foot tax-equivalency comparison to local restaurants; staff said surveyed communities typically charge only a few hundred dollars.
- Exemptions and lighter treatment for invited trucks (for example, employee lunches or special events) and for community-sponsored gatherings; staff suggested permitting invited trucks at no fee for limited occasions.

Trustee concerns and legal notes

Trustees and the village attorney discussed enforceability, burden on staff and impacts on small entrepreneurs. Questions included whether the village could enforce buffer zones on private property (landlord permission), whether a high annual fee would discourage trucks from participating in community events, and how the village would track and collect food-and-beverage taxes from mobile vendors.

The village attorney said buffer zones are an objective standard the village already uses for other placement rules and that a license could be conditioned on locations approved in the license; violations could lead to suspension or revocation of the license.

Board direction and next steps

Trustees generally supported adopting a permitting and registration process so the village can track mobile vendors and ensure tax and health rules are followed. Several trustees expressed support for a buffer to protect existing restaurants, but others said the proposed $1,500 annual fee might be high for small operators and suggested a lower fee or a tiered approach (lower fee for occasional/event permits).

Staff will research comparable ordinances and fees in other municipalities, evaluate potential designated food-truck locations on private property with willing landlords, refine buffer options, and return to the board with draft ordinance language in a near-term meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Monday, May 19, 2025 - Village of Gurnee Regular Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Village staff presented options May 19 to regulate food trucks, including a proposed 500-foot buffer from brick-and-mortar restaurants, an annual license (proposed $1,500), limits on hours and a permitting process for invited trucks and special events; board asked staff for follow-up research and ordinance language.","taxTitle","Gurnee, Lake County, Illinois","taxId",55474,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6231306,"Gurnee board weighs 0.5% home-rule sales tax to replace state—grocery tax, dedicate funds to water infrastructure",1290,486000,1776000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3432095-3b489af511a96a90cb42573ad5b0574f&start=486&end=1776","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3432095-3b489af511a96a90cb42573ad5b0574f/thumbnail_486000.jpg","/articles/6231306/Gurnee/Lake-County/Illinois/Gurnee-board-weighs-05-home-rule-sales-tax-to-replace-stategrocery-tax-dedicate-funds-to-water-infrastructure","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6231306-00968b6e446b8ffa655fceca3e3b0350/orig.mp4?Expires=1771213555&Signature=Ia9-iNzqXOZ~IUXVu22ckKvQ5uElQSa9O4Yeo76OjLWFwx93AgIJf7t1OwWGVHdJJRJCDYo1lio4uPXMoh-2brLdabC349cMltvjicEumwiCDow4jseceMVpDTzLcOT0UgPt3asXLLXoRk~7trC7Jum5byB75vMBV5np~dif8LusHqMriiLJlECFaMfmpUkdE54eBwRZycGufuOtw6fjsTZqHb-ifbHQ-1n~Uj~C43PnM9nITC2CqAexbnBZSfeqGVsDItDO9hDJYxbJiT1ai4zfTobRP48~e~aPqiDc5UUnTilMhHhzltKZfloRuUzFpvZhp7hMYw5eHUbVRwpsRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","GURNEE, Ill. \u0000May 19, 2025

Village staff told the Gurnee Village Board on Monday that the state\u0000repeal of the 1% grocery tax will likely cost the village an estimated $2\u0000to\u00002.5 million and recommended replacing that revenue by raising the village\u0000home-rule sales tax by 0.5%, with half of the new revenue dedicated to water and sewer infrastructure.

The board did not vote. Staff said it will work with the village attorney to update a prior ordinance and return with an ordinance for consideration; any change the village adopts would need to be filed with the Illinois Department of Revenue by Oct. 1 to take effect Jan. 1, 2026.

Why it matters: the finance director presented the proposal as a way to backfill the lost grocery-tax revenue while addressing an identified $3 million funding gap for long-term water and sewer infrastructure. Trustees repeatedly said they favored removing the grocery tax because it directly lowers the cost of food for residents, and they supported using a sales-tax change to shift some of the burden to visitors and nonresident shoppers.

Village staff\u0000presentation and numbers

Finance staff told trustees the state\u00001% grocery tax repeal is included in Public Act 103-0781 and will be repealed effective Jan. 1, 2026. The village\u0000s estimated revenue at risk from that 1% ranges \"between 2 and 2 and a half million,\" the finance director said. Staff also identified a roughly $3 million shortfall to address water-sewer infrastructure needs identified in the village capital plan, bringing combined near-term needs to about $5\u0000to\u00005.5 million.

Staff proposed increasing the village's home-rule sales tax in quarter-percent increments allowed by state statute. The finance director said a quarter-point of home-rule tax \"gets us just under $3,000,000,\" and that a half-percent increase would produce enough revenue to cover the combined need. He also presented household-level estimates: the existing 1% grocery tax currently amounts to about $165.12 annually for an average Gurnee household, while a half-percent increase in the home-rule sales tax would raise that household's annual cost by about $80.13. Staff also estimated that financing the water-infrastructure gap through the water bill instead of a sales-tax change would increase the average household's annual water bill by about $178.56.

Staff used private foot-traffic data (Placer AI) to describe customer patterns at local stores and said roughly 35% to 48% of grocery-store visits are from Gurnee ZIP codes and that about 55% of grocery visits come from shoppers aged 52 and older. Staff said it had contacted Simon Property Group about any retail recruitment concerns; Simon told staff local tax rate was not a primary factor in attracting retailers in this market.

Board discussion and public comment

Public commenter Keith Owens, who identified himself as a Gurnee resident, urged trustees to consider local housing and food burdens as they weigh revenue options, saying, \"Homelessness is not a choice. Homelessness is when you run out of choices.\" Several trustees said they supported removing the grocery tax because it directly reduces the cost of food, and they preferred a sales-tax change because it would be paid in part by visitors and nonresident shoppers.

Trustees asked staff follow-up questions about the distribution of tax burdens, the administrative steps required to file an ordinance with the Department of Revenue, and whether a sales-tax increase would harm retail recruitment. Staff said they would pull the previous ordinance (from February 2014), update it with current language, work with the village attorney, and return to the board with proposed ordinance language.

Next steps

No ordinance was adopted Monday. Staff will draft proposed ordinance language and return to the board for consideration; trustees were told an ordinance must be filed with the Department of Revenue by Oct. 1 for any local tax to take effect Jan. 1, 2026.

Ending note

Trustees characterized the proposal as a way to preserve village services and advance long-term infrastructure projects while reducing the grocery tax burden on residents; staff will return with formal ordinance language and financial detail for a future meeting.","Village staff told trustees on May 19 the repeal of Illinois\u00001% grocery tax could cost Gurnee $2\u0000to\u00002.5 million; staff recommended a 0.5% home-rule sales tax with half the revenue dedicated to water and sewer infrastructure and asked the board for direction to draft an ordinance.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Gurnee considers 500-foot buffer, licensing and designated zones for food trucks after resident, restaurateur complaints

Gurnee board weighs 0.5% home-rule sales tax to replace state—grocery tax, dedicate funds to water infrastructure