Bonnie Van Slyke: This is about food trucks, not Christmas lights!
The following letter appeared in local newspapers and is shared with us here by the author Bonnie Van Slyke. Bonnie Van Slyke is a member of the Charlestown Town Council.
Misinformation is swirling about regulation of Christmas lights in Charlestown. To clarify, I am writing as an individual citizen. Even though I am a member of the Charlestown Town Council, I do not speak for the Town Council.
Misinformation has been circulated on social media about Mr. Lamb’s Christmas lights, which he sets up next to Route 91, a two-lane state highway. Charlestown has never regulated Christmas lights, and there is no proposal to regulate them now, including those put up by David Lamb on Route 91.
Rather, Charlestown is discussing our regulations of food trucks because the Town is required to do so by the State of Rhode Island. All 39 cities and towns in Rhode Island — including Charlestown — are obligated to amend local ordinances to comply with State law regarding food trucks by Jan. 1, 2020. For significant numbers of people at food truck events, the state defines these as “temporary mass gatherings.”
On Monday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m., at the Charlestown Town Hall, the Town Council will continue the public hearing on food truck regulations. Again, this is about food trucks, not Christmas lights.
Traffic safety is a concern of the Charlestown Police Department. Excited onlookers stop along Route 91, and some even cross the road, to enjoy Mr. Lamb’s decorations. There has been a traffic accident in the past. The Charlestown Police add a patrol during the Christmas season to help keep people safe. The town pays the cost of these patrols. Mr. Lamb is not billed for the cost.
You can learn more about Bonnie at her profile page.
December 16, 2019 @ 12:06 pm
The written ordinance seemed to imply that a “temporary mass gathering” did not have to involve a food truck. As written it seems that a “temporary mass gathering” is defined as more than 250 people gethering for more than a 2 hour period of time. Perhaps, that wording needs significant clarification.
December 17, 2019 @ 9:19 am
At its December meeting, the Town Council rejected the amendments regarding food truck regulations presented to the Town Council. New amendments regarding food trucks will be drafted in the near future, and a new public hearing scheduled.
You mention one of the amendments proposed. This was an amendment to a section of the Entertainments ordinance, specifically the part of the Entertainments ordinance that deals with outdoor public entertainments that was adopted in 1984 and has been in effect ever since 1984. There was no change proposed to the requirement to obtain a special entertainment license for an outdoor public entertainment. Proposed instead was to amend the safety, health and welfare requirements to relax some requirements in the long-standing regulations regarding outdoor public entertainments. The term “temporary mass gathering” is defined in State law and refers to a large gathering of people at a food truck event.
December 10, 2019 @ 1:25 pm
What is wrong with food trucks?
December 10, 2019 @ 2:08 pm
The state changed their regulations on food trucks and the towns have to comply. It has to do with health department regulations for food safety and they want to know where the food trucks are selling food. If someone gets food poisoning and they report it, the state can identify where they ate the bad food.
December 9, 2019 @ 6:02 pm
Thank you Bonnie for the clarification. Indeed there was misinformation being peddled around.