 By Al Gnoza  |  The Sentinel
CARLISLE –Â Carlisle Mayor-elect Tim Scott says that within his first 90 days in office he will ask borough council to consider lifting the borough’s ban on mobile food vendors.
“Basically just to create an opportunity for entrepreneurs, because in this down economy, a lot of folks are kind of opening their own businesses and this is one of the ways they can do it,” Scott said.
That came as welcome news to Jason Turner, who has been operating a mobile cart by setting up shop on private property, which is not included in the ban.
“Actually I was really happy about it,” Turner said upon hearing what Scott planned to do. “I’m excited he’s going to at least be heard in a public forum.”
We did talk with one business owner who is against allowing food carts in the borough, but she declined to go on camera.
abc27 was unable to reach Glenn White of the Downtown Carlisle Association, but he has spoken out against mobile vendors in the past.
“We are not getting a person from outside coming in setting up shop right in front of a store,” he told us back on May 30. “One place might be selling pizza across from a pizza place.”
Turner says the carts would not take business from established tenants, but would bring more customers to Carlisle.
“This is the time that if anybody wants to support it,” he said. “Now is the time. Go, call the city council, email them, let them know you are in support of this.”
Scott feels this is something that can be done in a unified way. He says he has been discussing a possible compromise with one of his colleagues on city council.
“Maybe lifting the ban in areas that are considered food deserts, where there aren’t any grocery stores or any other eating establishments in that area,” he said.
