Item - 2011.PW3.9

The Public Works and Infrastructure Committee recommends that:

1.         City Council exempt applicants for a permit under Municipal Code Chapter 743, Streets and Sidewalks, Use of, subsection 743-7, for the purposes of a farmer's market event from the daily event fee for the use of the public right-of-way as set out in Appendix C – Schedule 2, Transportation Services, Ref. No. 61 to Municipal Code Chapter 441, Fees and Charges.

2.         City Council approve a farmers' market one-time fee of $71.97 applied during the event season annually for applications for the use of the public right-of-way for the purpose of staging Park-based Farmers' Markets, and increased annually by the Consumer Price Index.

The Public Works and Infrastructure Committee requested Transportation Services to review and report back on fees applicable to various Farmers' Markets for use of the public right-of-way in staging for their events, which largely take place in City parks.

Past practice has been to interpret this activity as an "event" and apply a one-time yearly charge (the markets generally take place weekly, from May to October).  A strict reading of Municipal Code Chapter 441, Fees and Charges, would require the fee to be paid each day the market was held, substantially increasing cost to these community-based endeavours.

This report recommends that, consistent with past practice, and recognizing that organizers pay annual fees to Parks, Forestry and Recreation for the actual markets, applications for the use of the public right-of-way for farmers' markets pay a one-time fee annually and the fee be increased by the Consumer Price Index annually.