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Bastrop council renews farmers market license, inserts Tuesday first-refusal language
Summary
Council approved renewal of the long-standing property use license with the Bastrop 18 32 Farmers Market at 1302 Chestnut St., increasing the monthly fee to $350 and directing staff to add first-refusal language so the market retains priority for Tuesday use.
The Bastrop City Council on Oct. 1 approved Resolution R-2024-115 to renew and revise the property use license with the Bastrop 18 32 Farmers Market for the lot at 1302 Chestnut Street.
Staff described the renewed agreement as a one-year initial license with up to five automatic one-year extensions, clarified that the market is not an exclusive user of the lot, transferred utility and maintenance responsibilities to the city in exchange for a monthly payment (increasing from $300 to $350), and added clearer language on structures and storage shed use.
During public comment, Lois McElwain, a member of the farmers market board, said the market has tried a Tuesday market in the past but low attendance reduced demand: “we discovered after nearly a year that a whole lot of people didn't show up.” Mikaela Joyce, the Main Street manager, encouraged residents to support downtown efforts and earlier introduced the Found Fine Art entry in a state competition.
Council discussed concern that holding Tuesdays in the license could block other occasional users. City Attorney advised that the agreement could be amended to provide the farmers market a right of first refusal for Tuesday dates but allow staff to permit others if the market does not plan to use the date. Council moved to approve the resolution with that amendment; the motion carried unanimously.
The renewed license keeps the market's Saturday use and special-event access intact, raises the monthly payment to $350, and directs staff to insert language ensuring the market has first priority for Tuesdays when it provides a plan to use the day. The city will return the executed license and staff will coordinate any additional clarifying language mentioned on the record.
