Fair Commission approves $50 flat fee per farmer location for St. Martin’s Fair, tables public-grant waiver decision

The Franklin City Fair Commission voted to require farmers to pay a flat fee of $50 per location for this year’s St. Martin’s Fair, plus the routine $10 background-check fee for late applicants, after discussing ways to reduce a recurring deficit tied to the event.

Commissioners reviewed the fair packet and budget materials and were told the city’s beginning fund balance for 2026 related to fair operations was negative $89,037. Staff noted some contract costs — including dumpster service — are fixed under multi‑year city contracts and that restroom vendor pricing was held the same for two years. The commission discussed several options to recoup costs, including fee increases for vendors and changes to the city’s public-grant waiver program that currently lets qualifying nonprofits pay $25 to receive waived frontage and temporary-class B fees.

After debate over balancing city revenue needs with preserving small vendors and nonprofit participation, a commissioner moved to charge farmers a $50 flat fee per location for the year; another seconded the motion. The commission approved the motion by voice vote. The transcript does not record a roll-call tally or the names of the mover and seconder; the commission instructed staff to implement the flat-fee approach for farmers’ locations this year.

On the public-grant waiver — the $25 application that presently waives some fees for eligible nonprofits — commissioners agreed to table any decision until the next meeting so staff can confirm whether an ordinance change is required and the timing needed to notify applicants (staff said grant applications are mailed in September/October and due December 1). Commissioners noted statutory limits (for example, health-inspection fees are set by state rules and cannot be shifted) and discussed the likely revenue impact of eliminating the public-grant waiver versus raising fees generally.

The commission also discussed operational items that affect cost and risk: homegrown vendors who sell raw agricultural products currently receive an exemption and historically pay no city frontage fee; staff proposed amending application language to charge a $50 fee for some vendors, and commissioners discussed whether a flat, modest fee for farmers would preserve small producers while increasing city receipts. Commissioners raised safety and liability concerns about late applicants who bypass background checks; staff recommended that background checks be run a day or two before the event because the police use specific codes and different procedures for official checks.

The commission tabled the public-grant-waiver decision to the next meeting and scheduled follow-up items for staff, including ordinance implications, exact fee language, and implementation steps.

The next Fair Commission meeting was set for July 29 at 6 p.m.