EDDIE SUNDQUIST

A city of Jamestown employee has tested positive for COVID-19.

On Monday, Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist announced that one city of Jamestown employee has tested positive for the coronavirus during a Jamestown City Council work session. He said city officials are working with the Chautauqua County Health Department to handle the positive case.

Sundquist said all other employees who came into contact with the individual who tested positive have been tested, and their results were negative.

Sundquist also said employees traveling to states that are on New York’s quarantine list that once they return to New York are going into quarantine for 14 days. He said if they are an essential worker, they are tested and, once the results are returned, if they are negative the employee goes back to work.

“I encourage all employees who feel they have been exposed to get tested,” Sundquist said.

ANTHONY DOLCE

In other business, the council continued its discussion on food trucks in downtown Jamestown. Crystal Surdyk, city development director, said there have been some changes to the food truck program city officials are trying to create since the last discussion last month. She said, instead of a city ordinance being created to address food trucks, that city officials will start a pilot program.

“This way we can make changes as we go and as we continue to learn as we go,” she said. “As we rollout the program we will be evaluating it. We want to give it a chance, and see what works and what doesn’t work and make changes as we go.”

Surdyk said the program states that a food truck cannot be within 125 feet of a restaurant, unless an owner of a downtown brick and mortar business wants to have a food truck or cart in front of their business.

Surdyk said city officials are also proposing to have a food truck rodeo at an isolated location in the city Tuesday afternoon and Thursday evening. She said the proposed location of the food truck rodeo has not been finalized, but examples given would be the Greater Jamestown Riverwalk or Baker Park, which is located between West Fifth and Fourth streets between Clinton and Jefferson streets.

“These are areas that are easy to get to and not necessarily right downtown,” she said.

Jeff Russell, At-Large councilman, said he spoke to Anthony Cusimano, owner of Gialy’s restaurant, located at 210 Pine St., about food trucks. Russell said Cusimano is concerned about his business if food trucks are allowed downtown.

Surdyk said under the current city code food trucks are allowed to be located anywhere downtown. She said the pilot program will assist city officials in trying to deal with the concerns of brick and mortar restaurant owners and those that own a food truck.

Anthony Dolce, council president, said he believes there has been a lot of misinformation in the community about food trucks. He said the council is scheduled to vote on the food truck pilot program at its next meeting Monday, July 27.

Prior to the discussion on the food trucks. Jennifer Williams, city clerk, read two letters from city residents who are against allowing food trucks downtown. One of the letters was written by Eric Hagglund, owner of 4 Below Haggy’s Bar and Grill Restaurant, which is located at 104 E. Second St.