Food trucks prompt discussion at Madison Township trustees meeting
The Madison Township trustees are looking into whether the township can regulate food trucks parked on commercial properties in the township.
Their comment followed a concern expressed during the board’s regular meeting Monday by a township resident about a food truck parked at a gas station on Ashland Road.
Regular meeting attendee Tim Goff asked trustees during the first public comment section whether the food vendor needed a permit for the truck and if the township has any regulations regarding transient food vendors. He said the situation is unfair to restaurants that are based in brick-and-mortar buildings and pointed out that a nearby fast-food restaurant pays nearly $58,000 annually in property taxes.
“So you can just pull a trailer in and get away from all that? Is that really fair?” Goff asked. “If you have an addition at the back of your house, you’re going to be tacked onto your taxes. So now you have a gas station down there and you go get a food a food truck and bring it and set it in the corner, you have a restaurant now.”
Trustees’ Chairman Tom Craft indicated that food trucks need to have health department approval. Trustee Jim Houser told the group township Zoning Inspector Paul Smith is researching the issue and has found no permitting regulations under food trucks but is going to do more research under vendors.
“It’s under transient vendor,” Craft said. “I don’t know if there’s a time period or if it says what you have to do. But if you put a hot dog stand in there, it’s a transient vendor.”
Goff said the township should have some type of regulation or permit. “I just think someplace we’re missing the boat on some money,” he said.
Building site now ready for development
During administrative reports, Craft told the board he received information at a county land bank meeting this past week that the site of a former business building next door to the main fire station has been cleared of any contaminant risk. The site had to be remediated after demolition of the structure turned up some potential contaminated soil beneath a concrete pad.
The site was determined to be clear of chemicals following a second study paid for with a grant obtained by the land bank. “We are free to build on that lot,” Craft said.
Goff questioned during the second public comment period whether the demolition contractor still was responsible for removing the remaining concrete from the site.
“It’s buildable the way it is,” Craft said. “If we bid it out, we’re going to have to take out that foundation and do some site work because right now it’s way too high to build, if we build.”
The site has been mentioned several times in the past as a location for a possible new main fire station.
Trustee Dan Fletcher said during his administrative report that he prepared a draft resolution for a replacement fire operating levy that was approved by Fire Chief Ken Justus and had been sent to legal counsel for review. He also reported he has put out a request for qualifications for design engineers for a drainage project on Manner Drive and discussed the design needs and the hiring procedure with the county engineer.
Trustees discuss road resurfacing, tax collections
Fletcher also told the board he did research for the township’s coming summer road resurfacing program and found that a 1½-inch overcoat would cost $110,000 per mile at current asphalt prices and allow the township to do 3¼ miles of roads. Using just a 1-inch overlay would cost about $75,000 per mile and allow for work on 4½ miles of work.
Madison Township’s road levy generates around $260,000 per year.
During her financial report, Fiscal Officer Leanna Rhodes said the township has received its distribution of first-half property tax collections and the net receipts of $1,537,453 are 6% more than the first-half 2023 collection. Revenue from inside — or unvoted — general fund and road and bridge millage was up 28% because of the property revaluation, while revenue from the voted fire district, road department and special fire levies, which are collected at an adjusted millage, were up 3% to 3.5%.
The business portion of the meeting saw trustees appropriate funds from several accounts to cover a request by Justus for $128,000 for a used ambulance. Trustees also approved a recommendation by Justus to hire four part-time firefighters pending background checks and physicals.
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Madison Township OH trustees discuss food trucks, road resurfacing costs
