Sequim City Council members agreed to a one-year contract with the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce to allow mobile food vendors at Centennial Place up to 10 times throughout the year.

Although only one food vendor, Maggie May’s Espresso & Outfitter, has shown interest in obtaining a permit, the city staff recommendation to the council was to approve the contract.

Adhering to the city staffs’ recommendation, councilors voted unanimously in favor of the contract at the Monday, Oct. 27, council meeting. The contract became effective immediately after the adoption.

“It will provide a quicker food option for people during events,” said Joe Irvin, City of Sequim’s special project manager. “But at the same time we don’t want these vendors popping up all over the place.”

The contract is not restrictive in that it will allow more than one mobile food vendor at Centennial Place at the same time and it is intended so that most vendors will be downtown primarily for events such as the First Friday Art Walk.

Business owners with the Merchants Group under the chamber approached councilors originally in June saying their intent was to increase activity downtown.

With a desire to promote and develop downtown events more, the Merchant’s Group revisited the city council during a July 14 council meeting with a $5,000 funding proposal, but the majority of city councilors shot it down.

Following the July meeting, City Councilor Ted Miller said he supports the objective of the plan, but felt it’s misusing taxpayers’ money and favors certain businesses.

“It’s not the city’s job to pick winners and losers,” he said during the July meeting. “It sets a bad precedent.”

City Councilor Ken Hays, who voted in favor of the proposal, said during the July meeting that he finds it important the city promotes its own objectives, such as within its Downtown Plan.

In addition to some differences among the city councilors, throughout the past few months some of the downtown eateries have expressed concern with allowing mobile food vendors into the downtown area and the potential impacts that could have on their businesses. However, at Monday’s council meeting, no one commented in opposition of the contract. Irvin noted he actively has reached out to concerned downtown businesses owners about the proposed contract.

“The Merchants Group has been trying to do this for a while,” Maggie Parks, owner of Maggie May’s Espresso & Outfitter and member of the Merchant’s Group, said. “It is really nice to see the city being progressive.”

Via the newly approved contact, Parks plans to make her first appearance downtown at Centennial Place on Friday, Oct. 31, for the downtown trick-or-treat event. Parks will close slightly early from her usual location at Blue Sky Real Estate and drive to Centennial Place with the intention to be open by 3 p.m.

Reach Alana Linderoth at alinderoth@sequimgazette.com.