The world is on the precipice of coming back. Vaccines are rolling out, and the COVID-19 pandemic may be a thing of the past – eventually. In the meantime, Moorestown township is preparing for a return to community events (whenever that may be).
While it’s still a little too soon to gather, Moorestown Council made revisions to their current ordinance to cut through some of the “red tape” vendors experienced when trying to participate in community events. Council amended the township’s ordinance on “peddling, soliciting, transient vendors and community event vendors” to exclude community events from the ordinance.
Council pulled the community events section from the ordinance so that a separate ordinance can be created, which will outline different requirements for vendors on site the day of a community event. The current ordinance on transient vendors will still apply to mobile businesses, such as ice cream trucks. Mayor Nicole Gillespie stressed that it’s important those controls still apply because these vendors are not stationary and are moving around town.
Gillespie said council will address community event vendors with a new ordinance at their next meeting.
“They won’t be subject to these – what turned out to be pretty burdensome requirements – that dampened participation in our community events,” she said.
Councilman David Zipin said while Moorestown has held successful community events – such as the food truck event along Main Street – some of the feedback they heard from vendors was that the current restrictions were too involved.
“What we did hear from some of the vendors was some of the red tape they had to go through was holding some back and sort of discouraging some from getting involved,” Zipin said.
He said the hope is that the new ordinance will allow vendors to obtain permits through a smoother process, which will encourage more participation. He stressed the more vendor participation at community events, the more people they’ll attract and the greater likelihood that these events become established in town year-after-year.
Councilman Quinton Law said he thinks the revision will be good for the community as everyone begins to move past the pandemic and they inch closer to summertime.
“I would just like to say that I’m glad we’re moving this along,” Law said.
In other news:
- Mayor Nicole Gillespie read a proclamation declaring March 29, 2021 as National Mom and Pop Business Day – Honoring Pete and Julie Bender. The Benders, who own Moorestown Hardware, were named Moorestown’s Co-Citizens of the Year for 2021.
“Moorestown Hardware, owned and operated by Pete and Julie Bender, is the epitome of a successful Mom and Pop business and a beloved Moorestown institution,” Gillespie read from the Proclamation on Monday night.
Residents of Moorestown are encouraged to support family-owned businesses on March 29.
- The next virtual meeting of Moorestown Council will take place on Monday, April 12 at 7 p.m.
