Hartland board orders rewrite of mobile food-vendor rules after weeks of debate; small pushcart approved

The Village of Hartland Village Board voted to direct staff to begin rewriting the village's mobile food-vendor ordinance after a prolonged debate over whether food trucks should be allowed in village parks, particularly Nixon Park during the weekly beer garden.

The board's move follows months of discussion and a park-board referral about how many trucks to allow, whether operators must be local non-franchise businesses, and whether contracts with existing vendors grant exclusive rights. The village also approved a separate, narrower request: a renewal allowing the Little Dippers ice-cream cart to operate in village parks this summer but not within the beer-garden footprint at Nixon Park.

Why it matters: The item raises questions about village contracts, public-safety and public-works costs, and the local-business marketplace. Trustees and staff said a rewritten ordinance should set clear rules about where trucks may operate, which parks are eligible, how many vendors to permit, fee structures and DPW responsibilities for trash and infrastructure.

The board's action followed a wide-ranging public and board discussion. Village officials and park-board members said the park board had recommended limiting food vendors to local, resident-owned or non-franchise businesses and increasing the allowed number of vendors at some events from two to three. Several trustees warned that the existing contract for the beer garden's operator, Beer Snobs, obligates that vendor to remove trash and provide other services, and that the village should not inadvertently breach that contract by allowing competing vendors in the same footprint.

Local business owners pressed their cases. Matt Valentine, owner of S3 Deli, told the board his goal was to "help the Village of Hartland and obviously selfishly grow my business as well," and asked for a temporary allowance to operate at the beer garden while the ordinance is revised. The board did not grant that request; staff and several trustees said the current contract and the ordinance as written do not allow a new vendor in Nixon Park during contracted beer-garden hours.

Tanya Little, owner of the Little Dippers ice-cream cart, urged the board to treat pushcart vendors differently than food trucks and noted the ordinance language on renewals. Quoting the ordinance language, she said, "applications for renewals shall be handled in the same manner as original applications, but may be approved by the village manager or the designee." The board approved a motion allowing Little Dippers to operate in Nixon Park and other village parks this summer, excluding the beer-garden area while the larger ordinance review proceeds.

Board members and staff outlined practical issues the rewrite should address: where trucks would be sited without taking prime parking for the beer garden; whether trucks must be self-powered (generators) and self-contained for water and electricity; limits tied to restroom capacity and crowd management; a mechanism to ensure DPW costs for trash or extra maintenance are covered by fees or contract language; and how to treat multi-location owners (single-owner multiple units versus franchises).

Village staff said the mobile-vendor ordinance (Heartland Code of Ordinances, Article 7: Mobile Food Vendors) currently does not list parks explicitly and that, in practice, food trucks appear in parks under special-event permits. Board members directed staff to bring recommended ordinance changes back to the board promptly so the rules would be clear before the busy summer season.

What the board decided - The board voted to direct staff to draft changes to the mobile food-vendor ordinance, including hours, permitted parks, vendor eligibility (local business vs. franchise), site logistics and fee structures. The board asked staff to present options at the next meetings so the board could consider ordinance amendments. - The S3 Deli request to operate a food truck regularity in Nixon Park during beer-garden hours was not approved under current rules; staff advised the owner to reapply under any revised ordinance when it is adopted. - Little Dippers (an existing pushcart vendor) was authorized to sell in village parks this summer but must avoid the beer-garden zone when the beer garden is operating; the board asked the vendor to coordinate details with staff.

Board members repeatedly emphasized the need to avoid a rushed, piecemeal approach. Trustee and park-board comments stressed the village must balance support for local businesses with contractual commitments and public-safety and sanitation responsibilities handled by DPW.

The board asked for staff input from public works, parks/recreation and legal counsel and requested copies of the Beer Snobs contract and related emails be circulated to trustees and park-board members for review before the ordinance rewrite.

Tanya Little, owner of the Little Dippers cart, said she will resubmit a clean application under the clarified rules and work with staff on the permitted park locations. "I feel like I'm falling through a crack here," Little told the board, arguing that last year's permit renewal language allowed administrative renewal and that she has maintained the conditions of her prior license.

Matt Valentine, owner of S3 Deli, said he would prefer a temporary permit while the ordinance is updated but acknowledged that the board's direction and the beer-garden contract made an immediate approval unlikely. "My ultimate goal was to help the Village of Hartland and obviously selfishly grow my business as well," Valentine said.

Looking ahead: Trustees agreed to place the ordinance review on upcoming agendas so staff can present draft language, fee schedules and suggested park-by-park rules. The board discussed the procedural timing needed to amend the ordinance, noting that ordinance changes require readings and can be accelerated if the board chooses to waive readings under applicable rules.

The board's directive is intended to produce a clear, written policy so future requests from food trucks, pushcarts and other mobile vendors can be handled consistently and without conflicting with existing private contracts or creating unplanned DPW burdens.