Scranton's downtown restaurants and food trucks have reached an accord on the city's proposed new rules on the mobile kitchens, an intermediary and city council members said Thursday.
Council was scheduled to vote on adoption of an ordinance amending rules on food trucks, but earlier Thursday received recommendations from brick-and-mortar establishments. Instead, council voted 4-0, with council President Janet Evans and members Bob McGoff, Pat Rogan and Frank Joyce all in favor, and Jack Loscombe absent, to table the ordinance so the recommendations can be reviewed and likely included in an amended ordinance that may be up for adoption May 23.
New rules introduced by council May 2 and advanced on second readings on May 9 include the following: defining food trucks and carts and increasing their distance from restaurants to 250 feet, up from a required 100 feet now; raising an annual license fee from $150 to $500; and continuing to prohibit the trucks from operating overnight, between 30 minutes before sunset and 8 a.m.
After meetings between restaurants and food trucks facilitated by Scranton Tomorrow on May 9 and Thursday, both sides agreed to ask the city to instead make the following changes.
n Keep the current 100-foot distance but define a restaurant's service area from a public entrance and/or outdoor eating area, if one exists;
n Increase the annual license fee from $150 to $250, instead of the proposed ordinance's $500;
n Issue a written warning for a first distance violation, followed by a $500 fine for second or more violations; currently there are no penalties for distance infractions.
n Have food trucks face the same fines as restaurants for health violations;
n Have food trucks abide by Scranton Parking Authority meter rules and regulations;
n Eliminate the overnight curfew on food trucks and carts and allow them to operate at any time, 24 hours a day and seven days a week, while still staying 100 feet away from establishments; specify that when a food truck's business day or night concludes they have to remove their vehicle and not park overnight, as sometimes occurs now. The overnight curfew currently exists but is not enforced. Council solicitor Boyd Hughes said the curfew on food trucks was meant for periodic parade vendors.
n Both sides also want to add a provision: that a food truck would be allowed to park on a private lot, in which case the 100-foot restriction would not apply, but the vendor or lot owner would have to notify the city beforehand that the private parking would be taking place.
Joshua Mast, co-owner of POSH at the Scranton Club, represented Scranton Tomorrow, a nonprofit community and economic development organization, at the council meeting and read the recommendations from restaurants and food trucks.
"The meetings were a great example of the power of open dialogue. We found that both groups had valid issues, concerns and suggestions," Mr. Mast said.
Some food truck vendors also spoke.
Mary Ann Petrasko, who opened The Picnic Stand food truck a few months ago, said the 100 foot distance is reasonable and should be maintained. "We do live in America. It is the land of opportunity. I don't believe in the restriction of fair trade," she said.
John Robinson, who has owned Johnnie's Vending for eight years, said food vendors create choices that enhance the downtown business environment and "just want a fair share of the American dream ... the city of Scranton has a very good opportunity to step outside of the box."
In other matters, council voted 4-0, with Mrs. Evans, Mr. McGoff and councilmen Pat Rogan and Frank Joyce all in favor and Jack Loscombe absent, on each of the following:
n To advance on second readings two ordinances dealing with a plan by the state Department of Transportation to remove the Harrison Avenue Bridge and replace it. One ordinance would authorize the city to accept PennDOT's offer to pay the city $21,400 to acquire a right of way on 8,711 square feet of city property in the 100 block of Harrison Avenue. The other ordinance would authorize the city to accept $7,000 from PennDOT for acquisition of a temporary construction easement in the 100 block of Harrison Avenue. Residents Dave Dobrzyn and Marie Schumacher asked what would happen to the Col. Frank Duffy Memorial near the bridge. The statue, known as the "Doughboy," was named in honor of Col. Duffy, who was killed in France in World War I on Aug. 18, 1918. Council agreed to find out if there are plans to relocate the memorial.
n To adopt an ordinance authorizing a cooperation agreement with Scranton Public Library for it to receive a $500,000 state grant for exterior repairs to the historic Albright Memorial Library. A companion ordinance also adopted by the same vote will create an account for the funds.
n To adopt an ordinance designating parking spaces for certain employees, including firefighters and Licensing, Inspections and Permits employees, on Dix Court behind City Hall and in a parking lot on Mulberry Street next to fire headquarters. The designations are necessary because of changes in Fire Department shift structures implemented in 2011 that have caused parking congestion.
In other matters:
n Mr. McGoff said he asked DPW Director Mark Dougher about Pike Street not having been paved in many years, and Mr. Dougher said it's a legitimate concern but a matter of priority and money. Resident Frank Galdieri, who raised the issue a year ago, had asked council again on May 9 when Pike Street would be paved.
n Mrs. Evans said she believes city engineer CECO Associates appears to have "a conflict of interest" in vying to be hired by the city to design repairs to a West Lackawanna Avenue bridge. CECO was one of four firms that submitted qualifications Wednesday to the city for the work. She said that if CECO were selected to design bridge repairs, it would - in its role as city engineer - also be responsible for inspecting its own work, "thus eliminating objectivity."
"I would prefer to see the administration select one of the remaining three bidders," Mrs. Evans said.
Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com, @jlockwoodTT on Twitter