Museum representative urges town to adopt food-truck permitting; board says code currently restrictive

Mary Bennett, representing the James Webb Community Museum and the James Webb Memorial Day Parade, told the DeWitt Town Board she wanted clarity on whether food trucks may operate at town events and urged the town to adopt a permitting program with daily, weekly or annual permits and associated fees to level the playing field with brick-and-mortar restaurants.

Bennett said restaurants in town see food trucks as having an unfair advantage because trucks do not pay the property taxes and overhead that fixed businesses do. She asked specifically whether the town would allow a food truck from Montgomery County to operate at Memorial Bay and other Canal Days events. "So are we allowed to have a food truck from Montgomery County?" she asked.

A staff member responded that the town had no clear rules in place for food trucks and said the code currently does not allow them; staff and board members noted that drafts of ordinances have been discussed over several years but no legislation has been enacted. The board and staff framed the matter as something that needs to be addressed administratively and through possible future legislation; no formal action or ordinance was taken at the meeting.

Bennett said the museum’s long-term goal was a permitting program (daily/weekly/monthly/yearly) so food trucks could be licensed for particular events. Board members suggested coordination with the recreation department and existing event planning as the town develops potential permitting language.