By Lee Reinsch
Correspondent
DE PERE – Alcohol vendors and food truck operators, listen up. If you want to peddle consumables in city parks in De Pere, there are some new things you’ll need to know.
Earlier this year, in an effort to pave the way for a beer garden concept to go forward, the De Pere Common Council lessened the restrictions on selling (and consuming) beer and wine in city parks.
On Tuesday, May 7, the council made it a drop easier for those meeting certain requirements to sell beer in city parks.
But for those running mobile food trucks, some clarifications to the ordinance may make it a few steps harder.
For those wishing to sell beer or wine: The board approved changing the local parks ordinance to eliminate the requirement for a private vendor permit issued by the Board of Park Commissioners for those groups or entities that have both a special events permit and a temporary Class B license, known as a picnic license, issued by the city clerk.
The only others sanctioned to sell beer in city parks are city employees or officers for certain events.
Those who aren’t city employees or officers, or those who don’t have both a special event permit and a picnic license, must obtain a private vendor permit.
For those wishing to sell food from a mobile food truck: In addition to not being allowed to operate in congested areas or areas that could impede the public, food truck operators are not allowed to operate on playgrounds, school grounds, library grounds or other public premises. Those mobile food vendors who are not under contract by the city for a city-sponsored event can’t sell food in city parks unless they have a private vendor permit.
In other Common Council news:
Cost containment
An effort to get the Board of Park Commissioners to come up with a dollar figure limit or proposed budget for construction of aquatic facilities at VFW and Legion parks failed.
“There have been concerns raised by the public that we haven’t set a budget,” Alderman Jonathon Hansen said when he asked the board to support his proposal.
He said it would be helpful for the council to provide some guidance over the Board of Park Commissioners’ process so the design firm could develop plans that fit within the budget.
It would also help in setting targets for fundraising and seeking private donations for the pools, Hansen said.
Hansen’s measure was rebuffed unanimously, with Alderman Dean Raasch moving to deny Hansen’s request.
With Legion Pool not slated to start for a few more years, a set amount in today’s money for VFW pool won’t buy as much in tomorrow’s money for Legion Pool, Raasch said.
Mutual aid
Mayor Mike Walsh said he talked with the leaders of Ledgeview, Allouez and Lawrence, and they agreed to bring the matter of contributing funding to the pool efforts before their municipalities’ boards.
Raising Kosobucki
Director of Parks, Recreation and Forestry, Marty Kosobucki, was approved a salary hike by the council.
The council agreed to move him from the Level R category of seniority, which features wages of between $86,778 and $99,154 on the low end to a maximum of $118,976, into the Level S category, which pays $92,934 to $106,205 on the low end to a maximum of $127,462.
The board cited as justification for the increase the fact that Kosobucki has overseen a number of high-profile capital projects in recent years that are designed to increase economic development to the area.
One such project is the George Street Landing, and he’s also overseeing the multi-million-dollar aquatic facilities projects.