02-28-11 Regular Meeting, Public Hearing and Workshop Meeting of La Porte City Council

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come from within a 15 -mile radius of the market. The • Provide a telephone (possibly a pay phone). typical customer will not drive a long distance to reach the • Provide restrooms (for sellers and buyers). market, while sellers will travel much farther. • Provide good lighting if open early mornings, late Farmers' markets are characterized by considerable evenings, or around the clock. 1 foot and vehicular traffic. Paved or well- graveled drives • If possible, provide an on -site office. and walkways are required for continuous operation over five or six months. Sites which expose patrons to heavy City or county ordinances may affect the provision of commercial or industrial activities should be avoided. it is manyof the items listed above. This is another reason why beneficial to have a site with well-drained, fastdrying soil. regulatory agencies should be included in the planning Steep slopes make it difficult to enter and exit stalls; and operation of a farmers' market. they also create a hazard from parked autos; and they make it much more difficult to display, load, and unload i produce. In addition, building construction is harder on OPERATING A steep slopes. Publicly- sponsored farmers' markets placed in the FARMERS' MARKET path of urban renewal projects or urban sprawl are likely to be lost due to political pressure to use the land for a higher - valued use. Obtaining a long -term commitment Managing a Farmers' Market from a government body may be difficult in such cases. Markets which remain accessible at night may become littered or vandalized. Some means of locking -up the site, Thoughts to Consider such as a chain across the drive, is desirable. However, • On -site guidance should be provided by a market this means the manager will need to arrive at the site very manager. early each morning to admit sellers. • A Board of Directors should develop pol icies consistent Some customers of farmers' markets associate the with the by -laws and organizational goals. market with rural openness. If so, then the market would benefit from a relatively large site where only farm -type The farmers' market should have a Board of Directors produce is seen, that is as free as possible from to provide overall direction and policy. The Board should encroachment by other activities. This large site would be be composed of producers, consumers, government especially beneficial for parking and roadways. officials, community leaders, agribusiness managers, and Sites such as church or shopping center parking lots other individuals who can lend support and skills to are suitable temporary location options. However, the managing the market. The broader the community 1 usual lack of shade and the high temperatures radiating involvement on the Board the greater the chances of from paved or asphalt lots will cause produce quality to success, since experience shows that markets need to deteriorate rapidly; customer and seller discomfort may have a community focus. Because the market is a business also be experienced. organization, the composition and election of the Board Sites served by utilities such as water, sewers, and members would be according to the by- lawsofthemarket. electricity would allow installation of restrooms and Among its responsibilities, the Board of Directors produce washing facilities at minimum cost. should: Before committing the farmers' market organization • Establish policy concerning hours, days, and months to a site, regulatory agencies involved in controlling land of market operation; use and access need to be involved. Such agencies as • Determine who may sell at the market; zoning and land use planning boards, the highway • fees Set for selling in the market; department, the building inspection office, the fire Se fees f employees; • marshal l's office, and the police and utility departments • Designate individuals who may act for the Board in an may shed light on the suitability of a site. emergency; • Specify the responsibilities of the manager plus the extent of the manager's authority; Facilities • Make provision for careful accounting of resources and funds; and Thoughts to Consider • Assure that all governmental reports (state, local, • Provide plenty of close -in parking. federal) are prepared and distributed. • Provide well- defined parking spots. • Provide for orderly traffic flow around market. To handle the managerial responsibility of most ( • Provide shelter from rain and sun, farmers' markets, onlya part-time manager may be needed because the market may not operate every day. Due to 4