Organizers ask Guadalupe to host weekly farmers market at Leroy Park; commission to forward fee request to council

Stephanie Krause, a representative of the Coasecha Guadalupe Farmers Market Group, told the Guadalupe Recreation and Parks Commission that the group wants to hold a weekly farmers market at Leroy Park on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and asked the commission to help clarify park fees and the city approval process.

Krause said the market’s organizing team concluded the downtown parking lot was not suitable after reviewing church and restaurant use and parking access, and that Leroy Park “is the best park, and the best parking lot because it's maintained by the city, and it has a lot more growth potential than the downtown lot does.” She said vendors would pay for spaces and that the market plans to accept EBT and participate in market-match programs to increase low-income households’ purchasing power for fruits and vegetables.

The market representatives told commissioners they would need city council approval of the site and any fee waivers before they could file required applications with the county health department and the agricultural commissioner. Krause said a portable warm-water handwashing station would allow the market to avoid paying for an on-site Boys & Girls Club attendant — an option that organizers were told previously could cost about $300 per event — because the portable unit meets vendors’ handwashing and warm-water requirements.

Commissioners asked the organizers to put the market proposal in writing so staff can include it in the upcoming joint meeting between the recreation commission and the city council on June 10. A staff member mentioned a preliminary figure of about $6.50 for use of Leroy Park but said the commission and council would need to confirm the official fee and whether the city would consider waiving or reducing it for a community market. Commissioners did not take formal action at the meeting; they requested a formal submission from the organizers so staff can present a recommendation to council.

Why it matters: Organizers said the market would broaden access to fresh produce by accepting EBT and using market-match, creating a subsidy-like effect that could double purchasing power for some shoppers. The location choice, fee outcome and successful completion of health-agency permitting will determine whether the market can begin operations and when vendors can file required paperwork with county regulators.

Details and next steps: Market organizers said they will prepare a written packet that outlines the proposed location (Leroy Park), proposed hours (Sundays, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.), vendor-fee structure (an upfront fee plus a percentage of sales, organizers said), and the market’s plans for EBT and market-match participation. Commission members asked staff to include that packet on the agenda the commission will bring to its joint meeting with city council on June 10 so council can consider fee waiver or reduction. Organizers said they cannot complete the health department and agricultural commissioner applications until council action clarifies the site, hours and fees because those applications require an exact day and time.

No formal motion or vote on the market location, fees or a fee waiver was recorded in the meeting minutes. Commissioners indicated they would not act on a fee waiver without putting a formal recommendation before city council.

Provenance: The market proposal and discussion appear in the public-comment and discussion portion of the meeting. The commission’s request for a written packet and the reference to the June 10 joint meeting were discussed before the consent calendar portion of the agenda was called.

Ending: Organizers said they will submit the requested written information to city staff to allow the commission and council to consider the location and any fee adjustments at the next joint meeting.