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 Nixon Park, handling vehicle power, trip hazards, trash collection and whether trucks would take up parking used by beer-garden patrons.

The board discussed the beer-garden contract with the operator Beer Snobs. Village staff said the current written contract does not grant an explicit exclusivity clause, and Beer Snobs had emailed that they would be open to food trucks being allowed in the park; at the same time the contractor and several trustees said it would be poor practice to undercut a party who had invested in equipment and a service contract for the beer garden without sorting the details first. Trustee Anne Walshlager and others pressed for a deliberate ordinance revision to address fees, DPW cleanup, traffic flow and restroom capacity before allowing trucks in the beer-garden area.

The board's motion to begin drafting ordinance changes was moved and seconded and passed on a voice vote. Village manager Ryan was asked to circulate the beer-garden contract and related emails to trustees and park-board members and to have staff prepare options and recommended language for the next meeting; trustees discussed two-readings timing that could allow an ordinance change as soon as June if the board chooses to expedite it.

On two vendor-specific items tied to the park discussion, the board took separate actions: it declined to authorize S3 Deli owner Matt Valentine to operate his food truck at Nixon Park under the current rules and the board's existing direction (the chair clarified the practical answer was "no" while the ordinance rewrite proceeds). Valentine asked for a temporary special-event permit or trial run while the ordinance is updated; trustees said the board needed to finish the ordinance work first.

By contrast, the board approved allowing Little Dipper's ice-cream cart (Tanya Little) to operate in Nixon Park this summer, excluding the beer-garden primary square and the area immediately around the beer-garden serving area while the garden is open. The motion to allow Little Dipper's to operate on Nixon Park walkways outside the primary beer-garden footprint passed with two "no" votes recorded.

Why this matters: trustees said the village is growing and residents post online seeking more food options at events; trustees and staff said a clarified ordinance will protect the village from liability, set fees equitably, and lay out operational requirements so DPW and public-safety resources are covered.

What's next: staff will draft proposed ordinance language addressing parks where vending is allowed, distinctions between push carts and motorized trucks, limits on number and location of vendors, fee schedules, and operational requirements (generators, trash, restroom capacity, traffic control). The board asked that draft materials, the Beer Snobs contract and related emails be circulated to trustees and park-board members before the next village-board meeting.

Speakers quoted or referenced in this account are identified from the meeting record: President Jeff Fannerstil, Trustee Anne Walshlager, DPW Director Tom Jensen, Village Manager Ryan, Matt Valentine (S3 Deli), Tanya Little (Little Dipper's), Rick (park board member) and Craig Eisner (park board member).