Riverbank City Council members have approved a resolution 5 to 0 to allow a food truck to operate at Jacob Myers Park. The Director of Parks and Recreation, Sue Fitzpatrick, has two proposals from two different vendors to operate at the park and presented the idea to the City Council and the public at last week’s council meeting.

Fitzpatrick explained that the Friends of Jacob Myers Park have been putting the idea for a food truck at the park in the agenda of almost every meeting they have had. So she wanted to make sure that the council is in agreement with this proposal so they can move forward.

As part of their strategic plan efforts to achieve and maintain financial stability and sustainability, Fitzpatrick believes that this food truck agreement would generate revenue that would be deposited into the Jacob Myers Park fund and used for park maintenance and improvements.

“Over the past five or six years we probably saved about $30,000 with just the parking fee and the management plan that we put in place,” said Fitzpatrick. “Creating the revenue that is able to offset the operating and maintenance costs.”

Currently the seasonal parking fee, the reservations of the various spots at the park, and weddings generates revenue for the City Park.

The food truck would be located in the open grass area that is behind the entrance sign where it would visible to all guests of the park upon entrance and not too close to anyone that may be barbecuing. The truck would only be offered at the park on weekends and holidays on a seasonal basis, possibly from May through September and possibly into October.

There will be a written agreement between the food truck vendor and the City of Riverbank, which the city attorney drafted along with insurance, permits and a city business license will be required.

The vendor will also have a flat fee to operate at the park that would be paid to the Jacob Myers Park Fund in June, July and August and 20 percent of revenue in September and possibly October.

“So really I don’t see any additional work by employees or staff at all,” added Fitzpatrick. “The thing is this would be a trial. We would try it this summer and if it didn’t work out we wouldn’t have to do it again next summer.”

The proposed food truck vendors are both taco trucks and whichever is approved will have to go through not only the Stanislaus County Health Department but the San Joaquin County Health Department as well.

With a few questions from the City Council members, the final count was 5 to 0 to move forward with the food truck agreement at Jacob Myers Park. The proposals will be reviewed and the agreement will be set up which could possibly bring the food truck to the park as soon as July.