Orange County NC Website
<br />Commissioner Gordon suggested adding that this be brought back within 60 days. <br />Commissioner Jacobs agreed to add, "in a timely manner, before the holiday break." <br />VOTE: Ayes, 4; Nay, 1 (Commissioner Nelson} <br />Geof Gledhill said that at the next meeting the Board would see an amended budget <br />ordinance. <br />Frances Johnson asked to speak as a resident of Fairview. She said that there is no <br />park in Fairview, and there is nothing there but same swings and a sliding board. She said that <br />there is no excuse for this park and the fee should never have been applied. <br />Chair Carey said that he and Frances Johnson have discussed this before and the plans <br />to build a real park. This will be done. Frances Johnson said that she has been on committees <br />forever and there have been many grants that have promised things for Fairview. She is very <br />frustrated. <br />b. Hillsborough Farmer's Market Draft Guidelines <br />The Board considered best management practices to be used in the operation of a <br />farmer's market to be held at the Public Market House and mediation options. <br />County Extension Director Fletcher Barber said that he was asked to bring back <br />suggested guidelines for the use of the Public Market House as a farmers market. Since the <br />department was tasked to do this, the staff has looked at guidelines for all over the nation and <br />locally. Some of these guidelines are included in the packet. He made reference to the sheet <br />entitled, "Tenant requirement for leasing the Public Market House for use as a farmer's market." <br />He reviewed this page. He pointed out that Orange County government would have the final <br />authority over the Public Market House, and it will lease the shelter to one farmers market <br />organization or tenant that agrees to the items listed. There will be a formal agreement between <br />Orange County government and this tenant. Also, a market manager is very important and will <br />work for the market under the jurisdiction of the Board of Directors. In some cases, this <br />manager is a paid individual and not a vendor. If the revenues are not enough to have a paid <br />market manager, this person would still fall under the jurisdiction of the Board of Directors, <br />which is made up of vendors. Also, liability insurance is important and must cover anyone that <br />uses the facility for the purpose of a farmers market. The fee will be set by the County and <br />should be a minimum of $1 million. <br />Willie Best said that there is also a financial impact far mediation services of the two <br />farmers market groups of $75/hour. <br />Commissioner Gordon asked how the County would choose a group. Fletcher Barber <br />said that he would hope that there could be one Board of Directors. His thought was to take the <br />names of all of the vendors and put them on a list in a room to vote, and each person would <br />have nine votes. This could start off the original Board of Directors. Another suggestion is, if <br />there are nine board members, there could be seven as vendors and two County <br />representatives for one year, in the hopes that the board could be more solidified and the <br />County representatives could then move off. <br />Fletcher Barber said that in all of his years working in Cooperative Extension, this is the <br />first time he has faced a situation such as this. He hopes to have unity in the community and <br />not discord. He would like to recommend having one farmers market. <br />Chair Carey said that he hopes that there is harmony too, but there should be a <br />contingency plan. <br />Commissioner Foushee said that she could see the possibility of there being mare than <br />two groups. She said that it would seem that the Board of Directors would be decided before <br />they accept any applications, since the board would make decisions on the vendors. <br />