The Syracuse Common Council on Monday voted to decrease the fee for food truck licenses, which could allow food trucks to operate in new locations, including near Syracuse University.   

Councilor at-large Michael Greene, who introduced the legislation, said the new ordinance reduces the amount of money that food truck owners pay by $1,000 — from $1,500 to $500. The new law adds locations for food trucks to operate, including some spots at Walnut Park near SU’s Bird Library and in the University Hill neighborhood.  

The previous mobile food vendor law required food trucks to participate in a lottery and select a location for $1,500 once their number was chosen. Greene said food truck owners disliked this practice because they were stuck in one spot in the city. 

This new system, he said, creates a “path to entrepreneurship.” 

“It can create a growth opportunity for a business that might start out as a food truck, but then, once they have a successful business plan and customer base, they can then grow into a restaurant and create jobs and vitality,” he said. 

Syracuse currently only has one permanent food truck and 11 food carts, which are stationary stands. Food stand legislation hasn’t been updated in the last few decades. Greene said he plans to gather feedback from food stand owners, compare practices around the country and determine appropriate food stand fees. 

The council also voted to improve pedestrian crosswalks. The city is working with the New York State Department of Transportation to improve 88 uncontrolled intersections and 60 signalized intersections.  

Syracuse’s engineering department plans to add signs, crosswalks, supervised crossing and rapid flashing beacons at the identified intersections, city engineer Mary Robison said Monday. Robison said the city only has money to improve 60 of the 300 intersections in the city.  

The city would be fully reimbursed with federal funds from the Transportation Improvement Program after the project is completed. The project would not cost more than $1.63 million, Robison said. So far, the city has spent $326,000 on the scoping and preliminary design phase of the project, she said.  

The council also approved a request from Mayor Ben Walsh’s administration to increase the license fee for snow removal contractors and impose harsher penalties for snow removal contractors operating without licenses. The fine for unlicensed plow trucks has increased from $150 to $350. Contractors will now pay $250 for a single truck license and $50 for each subsequent truck license in their fleet.  

Councilor Joseph Carni, of the 1st district, voted against the proposal. Councilor Susan Boyle, of the 3rd district, said at a meeting last week that she believes these initial penalties to contractors will increase the plowing price for her constituents. Boyle was absent for Monday’s vote.  

Other business 

Councilors also passed the following proposals:

• An agreement for the Syracuse Fire Department to apply for a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that would provide funds to purchase more fire trucks.
• A plan to purchase repair service and parts for hydraulic repairs on trucks for the Department of Public Works.

Published on October 22, 2018 at 7:37 pm

Contact Dakota: dapalmer@syr.edu