Woodstock trustees to revisit peddlers and food-truck rules after mixed public comments

Trustees opened a wide-ranging discussion about updating the village peddlers ordinance after board members said the existing rules predate food trucks and current business patterns.

"Food trucks are massively huge. You can't see the green at all when you're going by it," a resident objecting to the trucks said during public comment, arguing they took customers from local businesses and nonprofit fundraisers. Anne Marie Boyd, who said she supported the truck, responded: "I am in support of the food truck. I think that it served a need ... there is no place to eat in town on Monday." Village President Wendy Marinan said she opposed making Woodstock a food-truck center and urged trustees to preserve business continuity for brick-and-mortar stores and nonprofits.

Trustees noted the peddlers ordinance has not been updated in many years and discussed differences between a "peddler" (operating on public roads) and permitted vendors on the Village Green. A staff member said the village already signed a contract with a food-truck operator and that planners will consult the market and community feedback while drafting revisions. The board agreed to continue the conversation at the April meeting and to consider both public input and revisions to licensing language before any action.

The discussion included operational details raised by commenters: one resident said the truck paid for meters and electric usage and helped with trash removal during events; opponents said the truck's presence at peak times obscured other vendors and reduced fundraiser revenue. Trustees did not take a formal vote on ordinance changes at the March meeting but directed staff to bring the issue back with proposed language and options for licensing and placement.