Orange County NC Website
Andy Sachs for the superb job in mediation and she thanked him for being so honest. She <br /> asked the Board to vote for option #2 —to have the Hillsborough Farmers' Market continue. <br /> Jeff Peloquin said that he and his wife are new to the market, but in talking with <br /> members of both groups, it seems apparent that everyone wants a cohesive market and not two <br /> separate groups. He thinks that this is in the best interest of everyone involved. He said that, <br /> with the advent of having the new marketplace, certain rules and regulations will be put in place <br /> to make things transparent and then everything should fall into place. He does not think it is <br /> right to make the County the principal of this situation. He said that if it behooves the Board to <br /> create a new managing position, he would like to see it be temporary. <br /> Commissioner Carey said that he read the information from staff, and under the <br /> circumstances, he thinks that the Board should approve the Manager's recommendation. He <br /> said that the County did not get involved in the Public Market House with the intention of being <br /> responsible for it. If the County does option # 3, he would like to do it for only a temporary time <br /> period. He has concerns about the board structure recommended, because the way it is set up, <br /> it will take on a life of its own. He said that the Board would be de facto proceeding with option <br /> 3 if they ask the Manager to proceed. He said that the governing board's decisions could be <br /> reversed by the Board of County Commissioners, and he asked who would want to serve on <br /> something like that. He said that if the Board proceeds with this contractor position, then the <br /> County Commissioners need to be reviewing applications by February 19th in order to open on <br /> March 1St <br /> Chair Jacobs agreed with Commissioner Carey and suggested rewording option 3 to <br /> say, "The County operate a Farmers' Market at the Public Market Housing on an interim <br /> basis....", and that the rest of this be brought back. He cannot consider option 1 or 2 because <br /> both groups have poisoned the well. He wants to send invitations to every person who has <br /> been a vendor at a market in Orange County to apply to sell their products at the market house <br /> that the taxpayers have helped to fund. He said that he said to one person in the market that <br /> everyone could apply and then they would essentially be the farmers' market, and the person <br /> said, "we don't want to be there with those other people." He said that is the problem, and the <br /> solution is that, and he read from option #3, "no other farmers' market would operate at the <br /> Public Market House or on any other County owned property." He thinks that it should be an <br /> open, welcome, and inclusive place and it should be done as quickly as possible and the <br /> County Commissioners should stay as far out of it as possible. <br /> A motion was made by Chair Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Carey to approve <br /> option three, with the wording he added, "on an interim basis", and that the rest come back for <br /> further discussion on February 19th <br /> VOTE: Ayes, 3; Nay, 1 (Commissioner Nelson); and 1 no-vote, which makes the vote 4-1. <br /> Chair Jacobs asked staff to prepare a letter to past vendors to invite them to apply at the <br /> market, and he urged the Board of County Commissioners to look at the abstract as a place to <br /> start. <br /> Laura Blackmon asked the County Commissioners to email her about the structure of <br /> this governing board and the rules on page 13. <br /> A motion was made by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner Foushee to <br /> direct Laura Blackmon to hire a manager for the market. <br /> VOTE: Ayes, 4; Nay, 1 (Commissioner Nelson) <br />