Town Administrator Jason Peters was asked to review possible food truck ordinances and presented examples from the city of Altoona in Eau Claire County.

The meeting materials included legal definitions for “mobile food stalls” and other related vehicles, as well as an explanation of the permitting process.

In a letter to the board, Fire Chief Benjamin Andersen said the department wants to be “directly involved in discussions about food truck regulation,” with a focus on safety inspections.

“Many of these mobile food trucks run their cooking equipment on propane and most also have gas or diesel generators,” the letter said.

A small fee must be paid for the permits, said Peters.

Kenosha County licenses all food trucks, according to Mark Melotik, Kenosha County’s environmental health officer. Any rules or regulations Somers may issue would be in addition to the existing rules.

During the meeting, Andersen said there has been a “food truck craze” in recent years, a view shared by Melotik.

Melotik said that five years ago there were about 10 licenses from the county. Today there are 60 to 80.

“We’ve seen a big increase in mobile food trucks and people using them for events,” Melotik said. “It’s a new element in the food market.”

Rows of food trucks are a common sight at events in the region, and are a regular feature at the Petrifying Springs Beer Garden.

This includes “Picnic in the Parks” on August 17, which runs from 4:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and features food trucks, live music, inflatable slides and bounce houses, nonprofit vendors and fireworks.