UPDATED: Ice cream man to be one of two vendors to serve park until concession opens
By Kyra Hoggan
City council, at a special meeting Tuesday afternoon, unanimously voted to approve Pete Payne’s application for a business license to provide mobile ice cream sales in Castlegar.
Previous coverage:
FINALLY! Refreshments will be available at Millennium Park this summer, now that city council has approved one vendor and will be voting on giving the nod to a second during a special meeting slated for this coming Tuesday.
At its regular meeting Monday night, council gave the green light for Valhalla Lemonade to set up shop near Millennium Ponds, after which they received an application from Pete Payne to provide mobile ice-cream vending in the park, using a bicycle to literally ‘pedal’ his wares. (A special meeting was slated for Tuesday to vote on the application, because the summer tourist season is well under way, and the limited number of council meetings during the summer would have meant an unreasonable wait for the vendor in question).
City staff (in the person of Phil Markin, city director of planning and development) have recommended that council approve this second application, with conditions allowing for change upon the completion of the Celgar Pavilion concession, for which ground was broken in spring, and which is expected to be completed by roughly Aug. 15.
“We just put it out to tender – the contract for a vendor working out of the pavilion – so we’re not sure who will apply and what, exactly, that will look like,” said city councillor Kevin Chernoff. “But once that’s up and running, these two vendors would not be allowed to continue sales in the park unless permission is obtained, in writing, by the concession operator and submitted to the city.”
He said they also added provisions to protect non-profits during special events.
“They’re not permitted (to operate) at special events where non-profit concessions are available unless permission is given by the event organizers,” Chernoff said.
Aside from these few provisions to try prevent conflict, Chernoff said it just makes sense to encourage vendors to set up shop in the park.
“I think it’s important to have a vendor down there – it’s what people want,” he said, adding people are more likely to spend the whole day there if refreshments are available. “It adds another dimension to the park.”
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