City Council Takes Second Look at Food Trucks

After two weeks of collecting feedback from downtown restaurateurs, the Watsonville City Council will again be advised to approve a food truck meet-up near the City Plaza on Friday and Saturday nights.

Council members had considered the food truck plan in late September, but told city staff they would like to explore expanding the proposed hours of 9 p.m. to midnight.

Staff reached out to local restaurants operating within two or three blocks of Peck Street, where the trucks would park, to see how a larger window for the  food truck events would impact the businesses. City council members had asked that food truck vendors start serving earlier—8 p.m. on Fridays and 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

"Strong objections were heard at several of the restaurants visited," according to a staff report prepared by Marcela Tavantzis, Assistant City Manager. She said many of the restaurants are struggling to stay open.

The restaurants visited reported they are open until at least 8 p.m. and some don't close until 10 p.m. They were most comfortable with a 9 p.m. start time for the food trucks, Tavantzis reported.

Therefore, the staff report will advise the city council let food trucks park on Peck Street from 9 p.m. on beginning Oct. 19.

In other business, the city council will consider measures to improve communication with the public about dangerous levels of toxins in .

Blue green algal blooms, caused by high nutrient levels in the lake’s water and sediments, create high levels of toxins in the lake. City staff monitors those levels and, if the proposal before the Watsonville City Council is approved, would start posting bilingual fliers when the levels spike.

City staff would also start working with county health officials to determine if it's safe to eat fish that are caught in the lake, as fishing is a favorite activity at Pinto Lake.

The city council meets ta 6:30 p.m. in the council chambers, fourth floor of 275 Main St.