Village Board directs rewrite of park food-truck rules after debate over Nixon Park access

Village of Hartland officials directed staff to draft changes to the village's mobile food-vendor ordinance after a lengthy discussion about where food trucks and push carts should be allowed in village parks and how any change would interact with an existing beer-garden contract at Nixon Park.

The board voted to start rewriting the mobile food-vendor ordinance to define which parks and hours are eligible, whether local businesses receive preference, and what fees, cleanup responsibilities and parking limits will apply. President Jeff Fannerstil said the goal is to get the rules right rather than rush a temporary accommodation.

The issue came to the board from the park board, which asked the village to consider allowing more food options in parks and to clarify whether food trucks should be limited to local, non-franchise operators and whether the park board's earlier guidance (two trucks per event, preference for resident- or village-based businesses) should stand. Park and public-safety staff raised operational concerns including where to place trucks in…