A bill that sailed through the St. Louis Board of Aldermen is being pulled back because the Cardinals objected. The proposal would've expanded where food trucks can operate across the city and cut through red tape, but it will be withdrawn and reintroduced next session after the team raised concerns.
In an email obtained by KMOX, the Cardinals asked members of the Board the Aldermen Tuesday to encourage sponsor Rasheen Aldridge to withdraw his bill or vote against it.
The email shows the Cardinals were worried the bill's language would eliminate a “Clean Zone” near Busch Stadium and Ballpark Village.
Aldridge says effectively, the "Clean Zone," allows the Cardinals to choose which vendors operate around them.
"They have an agreement to be able to have input on food truck and sidewalk vendors in those areas... They pick the ones that they want."
The email continues by adding the elimination of the "Clean Zone," and would "significantly degrade our ability to preserve and protect the fan experience in areas immediately adjacent to and around Busch Stadium and Ballpark Village."
The Cardinals also say in their email they were not given the opportunity to review a substitution of the bill before it was passed out of committee and eventually perfected by the full board.
In a statement to KMOX, Cardinals Senior Vice President Mike Whittle says it has been tremendous working with Alderman Aldridge and appreciates him fixing the mistake of eliminating the clean zone.
Aldridge believes his bill included sufficient language that protected the Cardinals clean zone but they wanted it to be specific.
Aldridge says he could have amended his bill during the final day of the current session on Monday, but in the spirit of collaboration he would rather reintroduce a clean version next session.
"This code is so confusing... it has been amended about ten or twelve times," says Aldridge, stressing the importance of getting it right.
Aldridge says a new food truck bill, his third attempt at this legislation, will be refiled on May 1st, the earliest day they can in the new session.
Whittle says they are looking forward to more fruitful conversations when the bill is reintroduced next session.
