"We're really glad: Huge helping of relief for food truck operators as Common Council rejects ban



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- 11th District Alderman Joe Dudzik tried unsuccessfully to ban food trucks in his district. The Milwaukee Common Council rejected the idea on Tuesday, April 21st -- and food truck operators are breathing a sigh of relief.

11th Aldermanic District



Food trucks are pretty popular in parts of Milwaukee.

"You'll see tons of people out here at the food trucks waiting in line for it every Tuesday," food truck employee Michael Green said.

Alderman Joe Dudzik says he patronizes food trucks, but he believes they have a place. A proposal from Dudzik threatened to ban food trucks in Milwaukee's 11th Aldermanic District -- an area bordered by Lincoln Avenue to the north, 27th Street to the east, Cold Spring Road to the south, and 99th Street to the west.

In a 4-10 vote, the Milwaukee Common Council rejected the proposal on Tuesday, April 21st.



"We're really glad to see not only the Common Council, but public support of small, local businesses," a food truck operator said.

After the Common Council vote, Dudzik talked about his concerns. He cited the food trucks' tendency to obstruct drivers' sight lines.

Highway 24 in 11th Aldermanic District



"(The 11th Aldermanic District) is a very heavily-traveled street and my fear is somebody is going to be hurt there one day," Dudzik said.

Joe Dudzik



Dudzik says after the Common Council vote, rejecting his idea, rather than continuing to push his proposal, he'll pull from what he says is already in place.

"The ordinance that goes back to, about the 50s says that no vendor can set up shop on a street that has a resident," Dudzik said.

Meanwhile, the hard work continues for food truck operators who worried whether there would be work at all in Dudzik's district.

"Sometimes it's hard to get a job, and it's hard to get one you like, so here's something I get to enjoy -- working with people and talking to people. I really enjoy it. I would hate to lose that job," Green said.

Food truck operators say they were also concerned that the language in Dudzik's proposal would eventually allow for a city-wide food truck ban. Obviously they and their customers are enjoying a huge helping of relief.