HARRISON, Ohio (WKRC) – A nearly decade-old ordinance banning food trucks in Harrison is coming under review.

Schmidt’s Sausage Haus was in town last Friday, but when they tried to return Friday, the zoning inspector told them the city restricted food trucks to special community events.

Schmidt was threatened with a fine. Even though it’s an old ordinance, it’s created quite a stir, so much so that Mayor Ryan Grubbs said the city council will review it at the next council meeting.

Harrison hosts a food truck rally every year, but it’s considered a “private event.” Food trucks are not allowed within city limits, even on private property. Schmidt’s Sauage Haus learned this the hard way when they tried to park in the AutoZone on Harrison Boulevard.

“We put up a Facebook post just to be informative. ‘Hey, we can’t be in Harrison, so we’re moving to this location. That would be great if you wanted to come and see us.’ And I think when I went to bed last night there were about 230 comments, so it snowballed really quickly and blew up,” said Kyle Schmidt, owner of Schmidt’s Sauage Haus.

Schmidt said he wasn’t intentionally trying to break the rules. It’s the first time he’s encountered a city that doesn’t allow mobile food vendors, even though he has a permit.

“Honestly, it was a lack of due diligence considering we were already having festivals there. (We) didn’t think twice about contacting a business to put a food truck there,” Schmidt said.

Council member Jerry Wilson said the ordinance was adopted before most of the current council members and mayor were elected. He and Mayor Grubbs believe it was created due to a problem with a truck that was previously on private property.

“We’re considering reviewing the ordinance and deciding whether to keep it in effect because a large portion of the public loves food trucks and I love them, and if we can get it, we’re going to try to get it done,” said Harrison City Councilman Jerry Wilson.

Robin and Tony Bandenburg said their son recommended Schmidt in Harrison last week. They said the food trucks encourage out-of-town people to visit and they may come back to try other restaurants.

Mt. “I think it’s nice to bring this to cities and allow people to have a chance to have this without having to go to Columbus,” Health resident Robin Bandenburg said.

Council member Wilson was at the local American Legion to discuss creating a monthly food truck rally to accommodate trucks without conflicting with local restaurants. He said this could start from next month. The city of Harrison made an exception a few years ago by granting 1860 Taproom a temporary food truck permit before it began serving food.

The next council member meeting will be held next Tuesday at 7.30pm.