Council debates moving farmers market to Draper Park amid parking and T‑ball conflicts

City staff presented a vendor request to relocate the city's farmers market from Smithfield's Park to Draper Park; the vendor said sales under the current vendor at Smithfield’s had not met expectations. Staff said the vendor prefers a larger park setting and that parking and conflicts with youth T‑ball (on Tuesday nights) are the primary concerns.

Council members and staff discussed options including keeping the market at Smithfield's and finding a different vendor, shifting the market to Draper Park with mitigation for parking (library or senior-center overflow parking), or moving the market to a Saturday morning to reduce commuter traffic. Kelly (staff) said the vendor thought the market would do better at a busier park and that the splash pad and playground attract people. Council members raised concerns that Draper Park’s proximity to 13th East and a nearby roundabout could create congestion during commute times. One council member noted using an open field for temporary parking would cost roughly $80,000 for road base.

Why it matters: The farmers market is a recurring civic event that affects park operations, parking management, traffic flow and vendor livelihoods. Moving it would require logistical changes, potential additional costs for parking infrastructure, and coordination with recreation schedules.

Next steps: Council directed staff to research alternatives, check vendor availability for Saturday mornings, examine parking options (including use of overflow lots), and return with recommendations. No final decision was recorded at the meeting.

Quote: "I would like to see us try it at Draper Park," one council member said, while staff noted, "We can go back to the drawing board. We may lose them, but, yeah, we can keep looking around for somebody new if we do want to keep with Smithfields."