OAKWOOD CONSIDERS FOOD TRUCKS ON PUBLIC STREETS

City officials are considering legislation that for the first time would allow food trucks to do business on Oakwood streets.

Oakwood Law Director Rob Jacques said that food trucks are everywhere now, and residents seem to be in favor of having them in Oakwood.

“I think back five or six years ago, and I don’t really remember seeing them around — it is kind of a new thing,” he explained. “Oakwood has had an ordinance in place for years that you could not sell anything in the streets, and that has been our basis for saying we really don’t allow food trucks here.”

Oakwood schools hosted an event at the end of the school year that had food trucks, but officials had a road closed. Other recent events on private property included food trucks. Those events had some residents asking: Why can’t we have food trucks in other parts of Oakwood?

Local resident Cara Heib said she’s glad officials are considering the move and hopes to see ice cream trucks on the streets as well.

At Monday night’s council meeting, a pair of ordinances was introduced. One ordinance would create an exception to the prohibition for the “sale of anything in the street” verbiage that is already in the books, and the other establishes the framework that would govern food trucks that want to operate in the city.

“Our ordinances are largely modeled on ones that are already in effect in other cities and are working well there, so we are sort of taking the me-too

continued from B1 approach,” Jacques said.

Oakwood’s charter requires two readings for an ordinance unless council waives a second reading, which it didn’t do Monday.

“On July 16 there will be a second reading of each ordinance, and council will likely vote that night. If they are passed, it would become effective 30 days after that. So in mid-August is when we would be able to say we will have a law in the books allowing food trucks, so vendors would be able to come here and request a license,” Jacques said.

He said the city is not looking to gain additional money from adding food trucks.

“The revenue stream aspect is something that we are not looking at,” he explained. “We want to make sure we know who is coming to town and setting up. We want to make sure they have the proper license and inspection. We want the citizens to feel comfortable knowing who is operating the food trucks in our streets.” Contact this reporter at 513483-5249 or email Wayne. Baker@coxinc.com.

BILL LACKEY / STAFF 2016 Food trucks, like this one drawing a line in Springfield, would be allowed on Oakwood public streets if the city council agrees. Residents seem in favor of them, officials say.