Public meeting on Farmers’ Market ordinance set for March 31

Interested in sharing your ideas or concerns about the possible addition of the Farmers’ Market to the monthly First Thursday event on the square?

According to a news release sent out yesterday, the city has invited all interested parties to attend a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 31 in City Hall Room 326 to discuss the issue.

The city council was expected to vote at its last meeting on whether or not to allow the Farmers’ Market to operate for an extra hour on Saturdays (until 2 p.m.), and during First Thursday from 4 p.m. until dark. If passed, the Farmers’ Market would be allowed to operate on the square for one Thursday evening each month inside the parking spaces on Center and Block Street.

The issue was tabled, though, and will be revisited in a couple of weeks. According to Mayor Lioneld Jordan, some things still needed to be worked out.

“We were just trying to find a compromise between all three groups,” said Chief of Staff Don Marr, in reference to the merchants who are concerned about parking, the artists who want to have control of the First Thursday event, and the farmers who are looking to move more of their market to the square. “It’s just a matter of trying to find a balance.”