Memorandum

City of Lawrence

City Manager’s Office

TO:	Diane Stoddard, Interim City Manager
FROM:	Brandon McGuire, Assistant to the City Manager
DATE:	March 16, 2016
RE:	2016 Farmers Market Agreement

Overview

The Lawrence Farmers Market (LFM) has requested City Commission approval of a license agreement to allow the market to operate on two City properties for the 2016 Farmers Market Season. Each year LFM conducts farmers markets on Saturday mornings and Tuesday afternoons from spring through fall. The following memorandum explains the notable changes in the 2016 agreement compared to the 2015 agreement.

As proposed, the agreement allows LFM to use City Parking Lot 8, the Vermont Street Parking Garage, and the Library Plaza Park during the dates and times specified below to conduct its 2016 farmers market season.

Saturday Farmers Markets

Location: City Parking Lot 8, in the 800 block of New Hampshire and Rhode Island streets
Dates/Times: April 9^th through August 27^th from 5:00 AM until 12:00 noon, then from September 3^rd through November 19^th from 6:00 AM until 1:00 PM.

Tuesday Farmers Markets

· Location: Lower (western) tier of the Lawrence Public Library Plaza Park and lower, northwest corner of Vermont Street Parking Garage (nine parking spaces)

· Dates/Times: May 3^rd through October 25^th from 3:00 PM until 6:30 PM.

Tuesday markets were previously located at City Parking Lot 8 which created parking challenges in the surrounding area. Over the past few months, representatives of Downtown Lawrence, Inc., the Library, the Lawrence Farmers Market board, and the City communicated about potential new locations for the Tuesday market. The proposed move of the Tuesday market to the Library Plaza Park and Vermont Street Parking Garage area is expected to relieve some parking concerns as well as make the market more accessible to potential new patrons.

Construction in the 800 block of New Hampshire will impact the Saturday market site at Parking Lot 8. Market organizers are working with the contractors to maximize the space that is safely available for farmers market use. Exhibit A of the agreement depicts two contingency areas in Lot 8. LFM will have access to at least one of these contingency areas each Saturday throughout the 2016 market season. The contractor will determine which contingency area will be available on any given Saturday based on construction activity and safety considerations.

Recommendation

Staff recommends authorizing the City Manager to execute the proposed license agreement with Lawrence Farmers Market, Inc.

ACTION:

If appropriate, authorize the City Manager to execute the license agreement with Lawrence Farmers Market, Inc., allowing the use of the Public Library Plaza Park and Vermont Street Parking Garage for Tuesday markets, and City Parking Lot 8 for Saturday markets, during the 2016 farmers market season.