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Guadalupe council waives park fees for six months to launch farmer’s market, directs MOU
Summary
Council approved a six-month waiver of Leroy Park rental fees and directed staff to draft a memorandum of understanding for a proposed weekly farmers market, with conditions on signage, coordination with public safety, and periodic reporting to council.
The Guadalupe City Council on July 8 voted to waive Leroy Park rental fees for six months to enable a proposed weekly farmers market to begin operations, and directed staff to prepare a memorandum of understanding laying out operations, safety and reporting requirements.
Council members approved the six-month waiver after hearing from recreation staff and market organizers that the daily park rental rate would make the market financially infeasible in its startup phase. Arnulfo, the city’s recreation manager, presented three fee options and said a full park rental for nonprofits equaled the current $6.50 per day rate and that a discounted or waived approach would help the market get established. Stephanie, a market organizer who has worked with vendors at the Route 1 market in Lompoc, said the market needs a secured site before vendor, permit and fundraising steps can proceed and asked the council to waive fees for an initial period while organizers build capacity.
“Because we’re just starting and even if we were fully functional, that daily rate is just crazy,” Stephanie said, noting Route 1’s long-running market charges far lower site fees and that the Guadalupe market plans to accept EBT and market-match programs once certified.
Council members asked staff to include public safety, public works and finance input in the MOU and to require clearly marked signage, a traffic and flow review by public safety, and recurring reports on operations and impacts. Council direction called for quarterly reports to the city on vendor counts, attendance and any fiscal impacts; several council members recommended an initial six-month reassessment before considering further fee waivers.
City staff said weekend maintenance staff will continue regular restroom and trash routines; vendors are required to remove their own trash. Arnulfo said the market layout would use the west side of Leroy Park so barbecue pits and other park amenities remain available to park users. The council also asked that the MOU address scheduling conflicts with special events, the Boys & Girls Club and other organized uses of the park.
Following discussion the council made a motion to waive rental fees for six months; the motion passed unanimously. Council also directed staff to prepare an MOU and a future agenda item to finalize vendor and operational approvals. The council asked organizers to return with a six-month update describing vendor participation, attendance and any unanticipated city costs.
Organizers said they will apply for EBT/market-match certification after the site is secured; they noted that certification and associated grant or program participation can take months to process. The council recommended organizers coordinate with the recreation department, public works and public safety in advance of the market’s first day.
The waiver allows the market organizers to proceed to the permit and vendor-recruitment stages without the immediate burden of the park rental fee. The council did not set a start date; organizers said they will proceed with application steps once the MOU and site designation are complete.
