The Community Development Department conducted a pilot expansion of the farmers market during the 2022 market season.  The expansion provided an opportunity for Town Square businesses to promote their services, increased the use of the pond area, increased the number of vendors and product offerings, increased the number of accessible parking spaces, and better accommodated community programming.  At the December 1, 2022, Planning, Building, and Development Committee meeting, staff provided a summary of the 2022 market with a recommendation to continue with the expanded market for future years.  The recommendation also included revisions to the Farmers Market Policy Statement.

PBD endorsed staff’s recommendation to amend the Farmers Market Policy Statement to formally set parameters for the type of allowed community programming, number of booths allocated, and number of occasions an organization may attend and referred the matter to Committee of the Whole.  The revised policy also includes some general clean-up and clarification on other matters related to the market.