Sugar Grove gives ice creams vendors another chance

In what appeared to be an abrupt detour from an almost certain path to action, the Sugar Grove village board decided Tuesday not to act on an ordinance banning ice cream vendors. Instead, the board requested police chief Brad Sauer and other village staff to look into regulation.

After the board discussed the ban at both August board meetings, there appeared to be a consensus that regulation was difficult and a ban of the confectionery vendors was in order.

Discussion of the subject heated up after a 46-year-old man who was driving an ice cream truck was arrested in Sugar Grove in June for reportedly exposing himself to a 3-year-old. The man had no criminal record and had passed a background check done by his employer, Eskimo Man of Aurora.

The trustees who spoke Tuesday said they heard more from residents after the proposed ban was widely reported in the media.

Trustee Mari Johnson said Tuesday that a ban might not be appropriate "after just one incident, and the person hasn't been convicted."

"When we first started discussing this, I was in favor of regulation, but the talk turned to a ban," Johnson said. "I'd like to take a first step toward licensing or regulation. I'd hate to take away the vendors, people really like them."

"I would also like licensing," said trustee Mary Heineman. "It's not foolproof but it could be a deterrent. I won't support a ban."

Trustee Melisa Taylor, who had stated publicly she supported the ban, also reconsidered.

"My motivation for proposing the ban came after I discovered we had no ordinance at all," Taylor said. "I wanted something foolproof. I support regulation if we can do it efficiently and effectively, but I don't want to burden our police force with time-consuming tasks.

"I did continue to talk to residents and I found out that the people who wanted to keep ice cream vendors were more passionate than those who wanted the ban," Taylor said. "But regulation would give me comfort."

An ordinance regulating ice cream vendors is likely to be voted on next month. Trustees indicated they would like details on the thoroughness of background checks, whether to limit hours when vendors are allowed to sell ice cream, (such as requiring that vendors not sell after 8 p.m.) and how much to charge for a registration fee.