Heartland board sends S3 Deli, ice-cream cart and mobile-vendor policy to Park Board after debate over beer garden contract and ordinance

Matt Ballantyne, owner of S3 Deli, asked the Village of Heartland board on April 1 to let his mobile food trailer operate at Nixon Park during the beer garden and to serve lunches at an industrial park lot during weekday hours. He told trustees he would return the trailer to his licensed commercial site each night and said he had local public‑health inspection in hand.

Ballantyne said his plan would provide more food choices at Nixon Park’s beer garden and a quick lunch option for industrial-park workers, and that he would operate consistently whenever the beer garden was open. “Anytime the beer garden is open … I will be there. I will have staff,” Ballantyne said.

Trustees and park officials raised two recurring concerns: (1) a village ordinance adopted last year that currently restricts mobile food vendors on village park property, and (2) a contract the village recently signed with the beer‑garden operator, Beer Snobs, that includes food as part of that operator’s obligations. Several trustees said approving a truck without changing the ordinance would put the village in the awkward position of contradicting its own regulations.

Craig Eisner, a member of the Park Board, said the Park Board previously adopted a policy allowing up to two mobile food facilities in village parks but that policy had not been incorporated into an ordinance. “What was passed is a policy that goes against our ordinance,” Eisner said during the meeting.

Village staff and trustees discussed practical steps while the legal/policy questions are resolved. Staff noted that mobile vendors operating on private property already may obtain a village permit, and that a private‑property permit costs $150 annually. Staff also said special‑event applications allow vendors at permitted events for which the applicant lists the food vendors and pays the event fee (staff cited $75 as the usual special‑event application fee): “That special event app would list you as a food truck,” a staff member said, describing how event vendors are handled.

Trustees also heard from Tanya Little, owner of Little Dippers, who requested recurring permission for a push cart in parks on weekend evenings and at special events. Board members debated whether a small push cart should be treated the same as larger trailers and whether existing precedent (the park policy) required consistent treatment.

After extended discussion, a trustee moved to send S3 Deli’s request and a general review of the village’s mobile‑food‑vendor policy — including Nixon Park and other village parks — to the Park Board for recommendation. The motion to refer the item to Park Board was seconded and carried. Trustees then amended the referral to explicitly include Little Dippers; that amendment also passed.

Board members and staff said the Park Board review could lead to one of several outcomes: a recommendation to amend the ordinance, a limited special‑event approach, or a formal fee/scheduling framework. Several trustees urged trustees and staff to work with the beer‑garden operator so any change would respect the existing contract and the village’s goals to support local businesses.

The board did not approve permanent permission for any vendor at tonight’s meeting. Instead it referred the matter to the Park Board for policy review and possible ordinance changes; staff advised that changing an ordinance would require multiple readings and take several meetings if the board chooses that route.

Trustees encouraged S3 Deli and other interested vendors to coordinate with staff, with the beer‑garden operator and with Park Board members while the policy review proceeds.