A small number of New Paltz downtown business owners have weighed in on the idea of issuing a handful of food-truck licenses in the Village and most of them think it’s too soon. That’s what Michelle Zipp has heard from the five who have responded to a request for comment thus far. One of the five acknowledged that the presence of food trucks could also increase the number of people walking around, eager to spend money in the Village, but the overall sense was that coming out of a pandemic it might be better to focus on the businesses that are already open.
The draft law offered by William Wheeler Murray could make those licenses an unattractive investment, believes Mayor Tim Rogers. The proposal would have truck licenses awarded by lottery every year, and the Mayor feels that a longer term might make it more attractive to someone launching a new business. Rogers also thinks the language requiring that the trucks be on private property and that they be moved every night could be onerous. Murray agreed to reach out to some prominent downtown business owners to see who might be willing to help work on a draft law that would achieve the goal of adding to the local vibe, rather than being a downer.