CAMDEN — The Camden Select Board Tuesday night turned down a request from local businessman to site a food truck on town property adjacent to Hosmer Pond.

Citing the fact that the town lacks an ordinance for food trucks, Select Board member Don White proposed that the request be deferred to the Planning Board for discussion.

Patrick Cazemajou, chef and former owner of Ephemere on Bay View Street, told the Select Board Tuesday night he was in the process of purchasing a 20-foot food truck. He said the truck would be fitted for cooking and serving food in compliance with fire and other required codes.

He said he wanted to set the food truck up for this winter, and have it open for the summer and special events as well. As for the fare, he said he would like to serve crepes, waffles, sandwiches and other items.

"I will stay away from burgers, French fries and the kinds of things the concession already sells," said Cazemajou. "My idea is not to compete, but to bring something new."

He said he currently has a full time job, and envisions being open on weekends, beginning when the Snow Bowl opens for the season this year.

"The Snow Bowl is growing and as a vendor, it will be beneficial to everyone," said Cazemajou.

White was the first Select Board member to address the issue, and he said that because it's likely other food truck ideas will likely come to the town in the near future, it might be time to create an ordinance for the whole town.

"I appreciate your ingenuity, but if we allow it, we will be forced to entertain others," said White. "I would propose we defer the request for a year and ask the Planning Board to look at it, because this won't be the last time we have to think about food trucks."

Select Board member John French was concerned with the impact a food truck showing up at the Snow Bowl this year would have on Mike Fisher, who currently has a contract with the town to provide concessions during hours of operation.

"I can't see throwing the current concessioner under the bus, as he has been with us through the lean years as well as the busy ones," said French.

Select Board member Lenard Lookner said that while he thinks it would be "marvelous" to stand around and eat a crepe cooked by Cazemajou, he said he ultimately had the same concerns as White.

But Lookner said he also was concerned with how food trucks aren't on par with bricks and mortar businesses in operating expenses.

"A person with a food truck doesn't have to supply the bathrooms, the trash pickups and the parking spots," said Lookner.

"Neither does your concessioner," said Cazemajou. "All they do is pay a fee and operate a kitchen for the town."

Cazemajou also noted that food trucks are already allowed at the Snow Bowl during special events, like the U.S. National Toboggan Championships. He said that the food trucks were allowed to be there for free, and unlicensed. Andrew Dailey of the Snow Bowl Wednesday said that vendors for the USNTC pay a $350 fee to be on site for three days, and are required to show a Food Safety Certificate and carry insurance, with the town of Camden named as a rider on the policy.

Lookner then said that a truck can leave when the weather or the business is not good, while a concessioner has to be there every day, no matter what.

"This is a real business, you can't just close whenever you want, you need to there or your business will close after time," said Cazemajou.

Saying that he was not in favor of food trucks in general, due to the fact that they only have to pay a registration fee to set up shop, French also said he felt the current concessioner, Fisher, had been doing a good job.

He also told Cazemajou that to be a concessioner at the Snow Bowl, he should have gotten in on the bidding process earlier in the season.

As the back-and-forth continued, with Lookner saying "if we allow you, why not allow 10 more?," Select Board chairman Martin Cates said that the issue was not with Cazemajou's plan, but how the town handles it fairly and equitably.

"We need to establish some rules and guidelines," said Cates. "What we are trying to say is you are ahead of us. This is a coming trend, and we need to deal with it."

He added that it appeared the Select Board was not prepared to deal with it Tuesday night, but that it was prepared to move the issue to town staff and the Planning Board to deal with.

White then made a motion, " Don White moved the the issue of food trucks on public property be deferred to the Planning Board and administrative staff for consideration and that they would come back and update the Select Board in 6 months."

Before the motion was seconded, John Scholtz, a Hosmer Pond neighbor and a member of the Camden Planning Board, spoke on both behalfs.

"While Don's idea has merit, the problem is that it's a state statute that if we address a particular use such as this, and say we deny it in one location, then we have to allow it somewhere else," said Scholtz. "As long as the issue is mute on our ordinances, it's like it doesn't exist. But once on, you can eliminate it in one zone, but have to allow it in another."

As a resident of Hosmer Pond, Schultz said, "I can say that public property clean up becomes an issue, whereas private property owners want their property kept clean."

Cates then said it appeared that the information Scholtz provided about the state statute would be exactly the kind of information that the Planning Board could bring back to the Select Board.

"You could come back as a board and say just what you said tonight, either put it on or don't, and why," said Cates.

"Exactly," said Scholtz.

French said that if indeed they did decide to allow them, and there was a permitting process, they could also add regulations that address other community concerns.

Just prior to reiterating his motion, which was seconded by French and received a unanimous vote, White said, "We are shooting in the dark right now. This gentleman comes to us in all good faith and wants to open a business for himself and take a chance in the middle of the winter and we owe it to him to look into it."

By procedure, the board also voted unanimously to deny Cazemajou's formal request to use public property to locate a food truck.

Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards can be reached at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com or 706-6655.