BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL TO DISCUSS REVISIONS TO FOOD TRUCK POLICIES

  

The Brenham City Council will continue talks on food trucks and potentially change city policies pertaining to them at its meeting Thursday.

After a public hearing, the council will consider setting standards related to the development of food truck parks, food truck sites and mobile kitchens.  It will also look at permitting them for specific use in areas zoned for local business mixed use; commercial, research and technology use; historical central business use; and neighborhood business use.

The standards, which were recommended for approval by the Brenham Planning and Zoning Commission in September, define mobile food establishments and food truck parks and create a set of rules and regulations to determine how the parks would operate.

The council will also act upon an ordinance amendment that would revise standards associated with applying for and issuing licenses for mobile food establishments and other solicitors, peddlers or travelling vendors.  The changes would clarify the types of food establishments and the requirements of where a mobile kitchen can operate, and also proposes that permits can be given for 6-month and 1-year periods in addition to the current 45-day option.

In addition, councilmembers will hold a work session on possible Park Street improvements and various food establishment fees and other related items.  In the workshop, the council will review a planned update to fees associated with food establishments and vendors.  It will also review an opinion of probable cost for public infrastructure improvements along South Park Street and discuss a potential food truck park partnership in downtown.

A proposed fee resolution for food establishments and travelling vendors and solicitors will come before the council at its meeting on November 4^th.

Three items await the council in executive session, those being utility competitive matters regarding the city’s gas supply and transportation arrangements, consultation with the city attorney concerning claims alleged against the city by former Brenham fire chief Ricky Boeker, and economic development negotiations pertaining to Project Black Spots.  The council will meet in regular session to potentially act upon offering an incentive to the project, referred to in the agenda as a business that is seeking to locate, stay or expand in Washington County.

Also on Thursday, the council will consider:

• A professional services agreement with Strand Associates, Inc. for on-call engineering services not to exceed $120,000 for the 2021-22 Fiscal Year.
• Purchasing a 2021 Taser 7 certification bundle from Axon Enterprise, Inc. through the BuyBoard local government purchasing cooperative contract.

The council will meet Thursday at 1 p.m. at Brenham City Hall.