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Ferndale Council approves Market Days permit after debate over process, costs and location
Summary
The City Council approved a special-event permit for Ferndale Market Days in July 2025, agreeing to move the event to the library parking lot after council members and business owners raised concerns about rushed planning, inconsistent billing practices for city-run events and public-safety costs.
Ferndale City Council on June 23 approved a special-event permit for Ferndale Market Days, a new downtown event slated for July 2025, and amended the permit to move the event to the Ferndale Public Library parking lot.
The vote was 4–1 in favor: Council Members Johnson, Kelly, Mikulski and Leakesmaier voted yes; Council Member Polica voted no. The council authorized the director of special events to sign the agreement as submitted by staff.
Council members and local business owners questioned how the event was organized and budgeted on a compressed timeline after the cancellation of another summer event. “As of today, we’ve generated $2,500 in sponsorships and $5,000 in vendor fees,” the city manager said during the meeting, describing the event’s current revenue and vendor commitments. The city manager also told council staffers had tentatively reserved equipment but had not spent funds to date.
Why it matters: Council members said the issue…
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