Buckner business owners urge loosening of downtown food‑truck rules; council tables rewrite for attorney review

Local business owners told the Buckner City Council they want the city to revise its food‑truck ordinance to allow trucks tied to events downtown and to clarify the difference between private and public uses.

"We put signs around the rooms looking at ways to increase and improve the business area in Buckner," said Tammy Cronis, a Buckner business owner and member of the chamber's small‑business development group, describing months of meetings and a desire to grow foot traffic through event‑linked food trucks.

Cronis and other speakers said they were not asking for daily vendors but for flexibility for themed events such as Third Thursdays, wedding receptions held in local venues and seasonal festivals. They said the current rule—cited in discussion as section 245130 (special events and festivals) with a four‑event limitation per vendor—has blocked opportunities and that the downtown/district language (referred to as the Hudson Street/Downtown district, section 245080) needs clearer drafting to distinguish catering/private events from public vendor activity.

Philip Sner, who identified himself at the meeting, emphasized the group did not want to "open up Pandora's box" of daily vendors but did want a practical protocol that would allow more than four appearances per vendor tied to events.

Council members sought middle ground. One councilor said the ordinance currently limits food‑truck appearances "four times per vendor" and noted some language already exists governing special events. A motion was made at the meeting to remove Hudson Street‑district language so the city attorney can draft replacement wording; councilors did not vote on an ordinance change that night. Instead, a motion to table the item and have the attorney produce revised language was made, seconded and carried on a voice vote.

The council directed staff and the city attorney to draft changes that explicitly distinguish private‑event catering from public vendor operations, specify allowable locations (including use of back‑lot or parking areas rather than blocking storefront access) and consider limits on frequency per vendor. Council members also discussed permit fees and vendor guarantees as considerations when rewording the ordinance.

Next steps: the council asked the city attorney to prepare draft language clarifying section 245130 and section 245080/Hudson Street district language and return the item for further council consideration.