Ice cream bells will ring in Sugar Grove
To ban or not to ban was the burning question in late summer when the Sugar Grove village board first discussed concerns regarding ice cream vendors.
Three months later, the issue has been resolved with what could be considered a compromise.
At Tuesday's meeting, the village board quietly approved an ordinance regulating ice cream vendors, rather than ban them altogether.
Trustees first began raising concerns in August after the June arrest of a 46-year-old man who reportedly exposed himself to a 3-year-old. The man was driving an ice cream truck for Eskimo Man of Aurora when he was arrested.
The ordinance requires that background checks be conducted on all applicants and that vendors pay $250 for a yearly license.
Vendors will be permitted to operate until 8 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and until 6 p.m. otherwise.
"I'm OK with the regulations as long as they are effective and efficient," said Trustee Melisa Taylor, who originally was a vocal supporter of the ban. "Once I think it isn't working, I will bring it back."
The board appeared to be on a path to ban ice cream vendors completely after the August discussions, but at the Sept. 4 meeting, the board requested that police Chief Brad Sauer draft an ordinance regulating vendors, and did not vote on the proposed ban.
This departure from a ban occurred after trustees reported hearing from constituents who wanted to keep ice cream vendors in the village.
In other business, Jason Bauer of Engineering Enterprises told the board that the Municipal Drive and Galena Boulevard extensions are slated for completion in July 2009.
Municipal Drive will be extended from Bastian Drive to Galena Boulevard, and Galena Boulevard will be extended from Route 47 to Municipal Drive.
Municipal Drive will have four, 12-foot lanes with a 15-foot, curbed median landscape area north of Route 30, and a striped centerline median south of Route 30.
Galena Boulevard will have four, 12-foot lanes with a 15-foot, curbed median landscape area.