The owner of the Kangaroo Creek Farm wants to see food trucks that aren’t competing with her business.
“I would like to see (the municipality) not allow vendors where they are in direct competition with local businesses that provide similar services and products, especially when those same businesses have generated the foot-traffic in the first place, such as Kangaroo Creek Farm. The vendors that are presently using Main Street are not even respecting the rules regarding where they can park,” Caroline MacPherson said via email.
Along with taking business away from establishments, she said garbage from one vendor was found on her property.
“We sell ice cream too but we allow in outside food and drink for the convenience of our visitors, but now the farm is covered with white plastic spoons courtesy of the (vendor),” she said via email.
MacPherson said the trucks are often owner-operated and don’t contribute to the local community whereas her business employs more than 30 local people.
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She said the vendors also don’t stay in their established spots, taking up parking space from would-be customers.
According to the district’s business licensing bylaw, mobile vendors are responsible for garbage and recycling associated with their business and the vendor must not be within 50 metres of a licensed business offering similar goods.
Community development manager Jamie McEwan said the district is working with the Kangaroo Creek Farm to address its concerns.
“The district has a few key areas where we allow mobile vendors to locate, unlike a lot of cities, we don’t charge for them because we’re trying to create interesting and exciting spaces for them. So by adding food trucks, it’s kind of like adding a patio to a street. It’s one more thing for people to experience,” he said.
Mobile vendors were included in the licencing bylaw in 2015, McEwan said.
The bylaw doesn’t directly say where vendors can operate — which lies within the district’s operational policies, only that while they are delivering to a residential site, they can’t park on a travelled portion of road or highway and that they can’t compete with district concession stands in parks.
Vendors are also confined to areas within the district on public land, including nine spaces which are first come, first serve along Main Street, McEwan said.
Lake Country mobile vendor sites 2015-2018 by Carli Berry on Scribd
Currently, vendors don’t have to pay for these spots, as a permit is free, but as more mobile vendors become interested in Lake Country, McEwan said the district is discussing expanding the licensing.
McEwan had the opportunity to talk with MacPherson last week, and he said most of her concerns will hopefully be addressed with new leasing regulations, but no formal complaint has been submitted for the littering issues, which falls under bylaw’s jurisdiction.
“We would look into it if there was a formal complaint, we’re going to have some discussions with the mobile vendors,” he said.
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The food vendor scene is meant to enhance the tourist and resident perspective, he said. “We wanted to create a lively town centre that isn’t just a parking lot.
As of August, about 10 mobile vendors operate in the district.
“It’s very likely that starting next year we’re going to lease some of these (spaces) out,” he said.
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