Amid a loud push back from the community and signs of wavering support among the Common Council, which passed his ban unanimously just weeks ago, Ald. Bob Donovan announced yesterday that he no longer believes his proposed food truck ban on West National Avenue is needed. Critics of the ban have argued that it singled out Latino business owners, and in particular seemed to target just one taco truck.
After Mayor Tom Barrett vetoed the ban earlier this month, the Common Council was scheduled to discuss and possibly vote on overriding the veto on Tuesday, but that vote seems unlikely to happen now that Donovan says the issue is resolved.
In a press release late yesterday after, Donovan wrote that "he met with food truck operators on Thursday morning March 21 – along with Celia Benton of Layton Boulevard West Neighbors (LBWN) and the Silver City Business Association that operates along W. National Ave. – and a vacant lot was identified that will solve the issue near S. 36th St. and W. National Ave."
Donovan wrote that the parties came to a written agreement yesterday as well. “The vacant lot will provide a good location for the food trucks and this particular issue now, in my mind, is solved,” Donovan said. “By working with the food truck operators, the impacted businesses along National Ave. and Celia Benton from LBWN (who represents the Silver City Business Association), we were able to solve this problem with a resolution that works for all concerned parties.”
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Why these issues couldn't have been resolved before Donovan pushed the ban through the Common Council remains unclear.
Yesterday evening organizers hosted a rally in Silver City in support of taco trucks. They promised aggressive action if Donovan did not rescind the ban.
