Glocester council weighs expanding food‑truck permits and creating daily or private‑property categories

The Glocester Town Council spent considerable time April 2 discussing whether to expand the town’s list of annual mobile food‑vendor permits and how to structure any expansion.

Councilors and members of the public raised competing goals: supporting local small businesses and events, while maintaining traffic safety, parking availability, cleanliness, and enforceable hours and rules. Several council members suggested creating a pavilion food‑truck area or a private‑property ‘variance’ category that would allow trucks to operate on a landowner’s property with a signed affidavit from the property owner. Others warned that creating additional categories could enable many more trucks to show up on short notice and become a nuisance.

Town staff said state law constrains some options; the clerk noted that a daily permit currently must be tied to a specific event but that the solicitor has drafted an amendment to allow a daily permit not tied to an event. The council asked David (staff) and the solicitor to research legal approaches, including whether the council can authorize a daily license, create a private‑property license class tied to a signed affidavit, or allow the clerk to issue certain daily permits. The council also discussed whether permits should be transferable, whether preferences for residents are permissible (the solicitor reported research indicating they are not), and the need for rules about hours, trash removal and parking plans.

No ordinance changes were adopted at the meeting. The council directed staff to return with a draft amendment to enable daily permits and to outline options for a private‑property variance or license category and suggested site limitations, hours and enforcement measures. That amendment will appear on a future meeting agenda.