The Popular Falafel Mafia Food Truck on Cutter Street off the Eastern Promenade on the East End of Portland Recently.

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Food truck operators have made no secret of their frustration with the survey that the city of Portland has issued for residents of Portland. .  Whether views are expressed at city council meetings or privately at the Food Truck Park on Cutter Street, there is real concern about the motivation behind the survey.

One such food trucker at the Park said yesterday the survey is “biased.  It has more to do with how the city has put on the Park and less to do with food truckers and how its working for them.  The city does not want our input.  It has less to do with the economics and success of the food trucks and more about giving themselves a big pat on the back.  This food truck park is a knee jerk reaction to some neighbors.  I wonder what jerk designed the survey,” he added.

Thie food triuck owner also noted that the closest rest rooms are down by the waterfront.  That’s also where the trash cans are located – not at all near where the food trucks are located and where they are most needed.

A retired couple who are frequent patrons of the Park were buying lunch there yesterday afternoon from several different trucks on site. Bruce and his wife Lynn drive from Standish to do business in Portland.  They always try to arrange those errands to Portland around lunch time so they can get lunch at the Food Truck Park.  “We live in Standish.  That’s so we don’t have to deal with Portland.  We preferred it when the food trucks were up on the Eastern Promenade.”  The couple from Standish were unaware of the Food Truck Survey and were surprised to learn of it.

Just over 1,600 people have now responded to the survey according to the city’s spokeswoman, Jessica Grondin, this morning.  What is the city doing to get the widest possible input from interested parties on the Food Truck Park?

This blogger has queried the city in the past regarding the design and implementation of the Survey; not surprisingly, the city has not responded. This blogger has asked who designed the survey, was an RFP issued for its construction among other questions. Was the suvey an in-house project or an out-house project? Transparency is not on inept Interim City Manager West’s agenda.  Normally, that  information is made public, but not in this case.

This blogger has written extensively about the  problems with the Food Truck Park and how the city has mishandled the situation from the start.  For  more background information, please visit posts dated Sepember 21, 2022 – “Food Truck Operators Ask CIty for Agenda Time – Get Questionable Survey Instead” and post dated September 3, 2022, “Discontent Rules at Food Truck Park.”