Market motion defeated

Three city councillors want city to open up the running of the troubled Peterborough Farmers’ Market to other bidders

The Peterborough Farmers’ Market board of directors isn’t going to be asked by the City of Peterborough to bid against other parties who might be interested in running the market.

Coun. Diane Therrien made a motion on Monday at City Hall to have the city open a competitive bidding process rather than automatically allow the current board of directors to run the Saturday farmers’ market.

The motion lost: only Coun. Dean Pappas and Coun. Keith Riel voted along with Therrien.

Tension has increased lately between local growers and re-sellers who buy food from places such as the Ontario Food Terminal and re-sell without necessarily telling the consumer that the produce isn’t homegrown.

The market members held a closed meeting on Jan. 8 to potentially evict seven local growers and artisans, allegedly over aggressive behaviour.

But the allegations were never explained in any detail in a notice of meeting; one board member said that was to protect 16 vendors who spoke up and requested a vote to evict their fellow members.

Reporters were barred from the members-only meeting on Jan. 8 and a gag order was imposed on all who attended.

Yet vendors were apparently not evicted at that meeting: on Saturday, all those among the seven who typically participate in the market in winter still had stalls.

The market is a non-profit corporation that rents city land at Morrow Park.

Meanwhile there’s at least one other entity that would like to take over running the market: the Regional Farmers’ Network, made up of farmers and their supporters, stated Jan. 3 that they would bid in a competitive process.

Therrien said she thinks there should be a competition.

“I know the city’s position is to hope the market and the board sort out their differences .... But as the landlord, I believe it’s time the city take action,” she said at the general committee meeting on Monday.

But Mayor Daryl Bennett said that would be “premature” since the city and the board are negotiating a new market lease.

He didn’t see the sense in soliciting proposals when they’ve been negotiating in good faith with the current board.

“We will expose ourselves to some legal action,” Bennett said. “And I think they (the board) are dealing with matters within their bylaws.”

City CAO Allan Seabrooke said the market has asked the city for advice to deal with its internal issues: the city has told them to develop with a strategic plan, for instance, as well as an updated set of bylaws. They need time to complete that work, Seabrooke said.

Furthermore he said the city typically speaks to the market’s board of directors early in the year to set the cost of rent.

This year they want to “formalize” a lease that would apply until the end of April 2019 (just before the outdoor market starts for the season).

After that lease expires, Seabrooke said, council can consider whether it wants to ask for competitive bids. But he didn’t think the time is right to do that now, as the city is in the final stages of negotiating a lease with the market’s lawyer.

“We’re very close to negotiating a draft agreement,” he said. “It’s probably not the right time to pull out the rug from underneath that.”

Coun. Lesley Parnell said she’s reluctant to “overstep” advice given by administrative staff in this case. She also said the market’s issues needn’t be complicated.

“The answer is so simple: proper signage,” she said. “If you’re reselling, that’s the signage you should have .... It’s a very simple solution to a complex problem.”

Meanwhile Therrien said there’s no use waiting for the market to sort out its issues.

“I think we’ve been waiting for too long. Things keep devolving at that market,” she said. “They’ve been saying they will improve their bylaws for months and months - and nothing ’s happening .... People’s livelihoods are at stake.”

Riel said he heard from one local grower whose family has been selling at the market since 1903 that the market is now 70 per cent resellers.

This particular local grower made herself a sign indicating that she grows 100 per cent of what she sells, Riel said - and she was labelled a “dissident” by other members.

Resellers are making money, Riel said, because they undercut the prices of the local growers. Plus, resellers have no overhead costs.

“There is a huge issue here - and we’re not addressing it,” Riel said. “The people they call dissidents – those who could be thrown out just want signs.”