Lindsay Mayor suggests Friday Night Market move Council votes to keep market as is

During the regular Lindsay City Council meeting on Tuesday night, Mayor Hipiloto Cerros raised some concerns about the location of the Friday Night Market. Although the market’s contract was set for approval on the Council’s consent calendar, Cerros pulled the item for council discussion and an individual vote.

The item concerning the contract approval for the continuance of the market downtown was pulled by the mayor after he expressed some downtown businesses had concerns about the market and how it was affecting their business.

“I think the whole objective of the Friday Night Market was to promote downtown businesses,” said Cerros. “It has come to my attention that a lot of the brick and mortar businesses downtown are actually hurting from the downtown market.”

Cerros requested a discussion about relocating the market be held amongst the council, as he felt relocating the event would be beneficial to the businesses that are blocked by vendors during the market.

Mayor Pro Tem Yolanda Flores defended the market’s location by stating it’s been there for years and is where the community knows to go. She countered Cerros by saying the exposure was beneficial to the businesses downtown.

“They have the opportunity of selling their stuff out by the sidewalk,” said Flores.

Virginia Loya, the Friday Night Market Director, joined the discussion by stating businesses who participate in the market get discounted rates for their spaces. She listed several businesses that participate and stated she works with the businesses who choose not to participate by keeping their businesses as safe as possible while the market is in session.

Councilmember Ramiro Serna asked when the market started and how long the contract was for. The answer he received was the market starts March 3, and the contract is for a period of nine months. Cerros interjected he was of the understand

ing the contract was for six months, and if the current contract stands at nine months, it should be shortened to a period of seven months.

Flores continued to support the market as it stands and stood firm the businesses downtown profit from the market as it is.

Councilmember Rosaena Sanchez suggested the council meet Loya in the middle and shorten the market by one month, to which Cerros could agree with but still insisted the council discuss relocating the market to benefit the businesses downtown.

Serna partially agreed with Cerros, stating the setup times for the market inhibited the businesses as they allowed set-up much earlier than regular closing hours. He suggested the market committee check in with the businesses on a regular basis.

Because the item was pulled from the consent calendar and requested by the mayor to be voted on by roll call, when the item went to vote, the vote amongst the council was mixed. With a final vote of 3-1, the market contract passed as is. Cerros voted against the contract as it stands, and councilmember Ramona Caudillo chose to abstain from the vote.

The Council took action on four items on Tuesday night, the first of which concerned council member participation via teleconference in future meetings. The council approved allowing members to participate via the internet if they have a quorum elsewhere and it’s limited to certain stipulations. In order for a council member to participate remotely, they must have just cause or an emergency circumstance which prevents them from participating in person.

The next two action items went fairly quickly.

The council approved the lead lifeguard job description and also agreed to set a special meeting on a future Saturday to tour the city’s water and sewer facilities.

The last action item came in two parts, the first an application for a special event in order for the Chamber of Commerce to host a brewfest on March 18 at the Olive Bowl/kaku Park. After council members Serna and Caudillo recused themselves from the discussion due to conflict, the remaining council unanimously approved the application for the event.

The second part of the brewfest item concerned waving the $1,821.88 fee for the event to be held. The fee total includes rental fees for the event location, police presence, permit fees, and special day of inspections. The council unanimously approved the fee waiver.

The next meeting of the Lindsay City Council is scheduled for February 28.