Audio By Carbonatix
Way back in June, the city council’s Transportation and Environment Committee took yet another look at yet another proposal aimed at regulating neighborhood farmers markets and said, in short: Fine, looks good, next! Operators of neighborhood markets ain’t thrilled with the final product, but they’re willing to live with it, for now. Which is why the council’s going to OK the ordinance at tomorrow’s meeting, per the final addendum. (Why a meeting tomorrow? No doubt it has something to do with Mayor Tom Leppert’s “conversation” with Texas Tribune Editor Evan Smith, scheduled for Wednesday morning in Austin. Anyway.)
Here, for those who don’t recall where we last left off, the summary from the addendum:
The permit will allow the markets to operate from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. for no more than 28
non-consecutive market days per calendar year in non-residential areas and outside of
the Central Business District where otherwise prohibited by ordinance. One permit per
calendar year will be issued to a specific organizer and will be for a specific location.
Market applicants must pay an annual fee of $200 if the market will have 25 or fewer
vendors or $300 if the market will have 26 to 50 vendors. At least one half of the
vendors of a market must sell produce or other food items. All products distributed or
sold at the neighborhood farmers markets must have been raised, grown, made,
crafted, processed, or produced by the vendor in a Texas county completely or partially
located within a 150-mile radius of Dallas County. Neither resale of goods nor sale of
live animals is allowed. Products that may be sold at a neighborhood farmers market
include, but are not limited to, fruits, vegetables, honey, eggs, nuts, herbs, mushrooms,
meats, dairy products, prepared food such as baked goods, arts and crafts, and garden
items.Modifications to temporary food establishment and special event ordinances are made
as they relate to the new neighborhood farmers market ordinance. Vendors that sell
potentially hazardous food must comply with temporary food establishment
requirements. In conjunction with neighborhood farmers markets, the temporary food
establishment annual fee will be $100 for each booth or stall at the first market location
and $50 for each booth or stall at each additional market location.
The kicker: City Hall’s been futzing with neighborhood farmers markets for almost a year. For a grand total of $2,100 in guesstimated annual revenue.
