After giving a little glimmer of hope at Tuesday’s meeting of the Dodge County Board of Commissioners regarding the continuation of operation of the Dodge County Farmer’s Market, the commissioners shot down requests for financial assistance at Wednesday’s budget approval meeting.
Tuesday night, commissioner Brian Watkins made the following motion, “I make a motion that the north west side of the Dodge County Courthouse be opened up each Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for the use of vendors to display and sell their products to the public with the understanding that Dodge County will not/does not insure the quality, fitness, suitability, or safety of any products sold there. The vendors shall not be allowed to set up any sales areas on the courthouse steps or at any entrance, the park area or the soldier memorial areas.”
After Watkins made the motion, commissioner Terry Niblett seconded the motion. The vote to approve the motion was unanimous.
On Wednesday, commissioner Karen Cheek, prior to the board’s approval of the 2018 proposed county budget, which cut out any financial support to the farmers’ market, made a motion to make an amendment to the budget to include support of $3,035.00 to help the farmers’ market stay open.
Cheek said that she believed Sharon Flanagan, director of the Dodge County Farmers’ Market, had compiled with the board’s wishes of adjusting the financial request she made to the board. “She has even said that we could pay half of that and I think she did an excellent job.”
Flanagan had stated during the public hearing part of Wednesday’s meeting the following: “at the first public hearing I was requested to adjust the monies to a point to where we could continue operating the market as in accordance to the charter … I have carved it down to the bare minimum.”
Commissioners won’t fund farmers market
Cheek said she believed that the 2018 proposed budget had left the county “enough wiggle room to help … it is obvious that the community wants the market … if we can’t do it there, then I think we can do it through the contingency fund.”
Dodge County Commission Chair Dan McCranie informed Cheek that he needed a motion. “Well, I make that a motion.”, Cheek stated.
McCranie then called for a second to Cheek’s motion. No commissioner spoke or offered any comments or a second.
“The motion dies due to lack of a second,” McCranie stated.
After a few moments, McCranie called for a motion to approve the proposed 2018 budget as it had been presented. (Editor’s Note: A copy of the 2018 Dodge County budget was published in the December 20, 2017 issue of The Dodge County News.)
A motion was made and seconded.
In spite of making an earlier motion/recommendation to amend the budget to add the $3,035.00 or at least half of that for support of the farmers’ market, Cheek voted along with the majority to approve the 2018 Dodge County budget.
The budget that was approved wouldn’t include financial assistance to the farmers’ market.
As per the fate of the farmers’ market in Dodge County, director Sharon Flanagan told The Dodge County News during a phone interview Tuesday that in spite of the lack of financial support from the Dodge County Board of Commissioners, “we will continue to operate the farmers’ market.”
Flanagan was appreciative of the board’s previous financial support and the board’s action from Tuesday of granting approval for the continued use of the property around the Dodge County Courthouse for the market.
“We are receiving $2,000.00 from the city of Eastman…which is what they gave us last year as well,” Flanagan said, and added, “and we have several people who have stepped up and volunteered to do some fundraising for us and make some private donations.”
A call was placed to the Eastman City Hall to speak with Eastman City Manager Jason Cobb to verify the city’s financial support of the market. Cobb was not available. City clerk Ivelyn Lampkin did confirm that the city of Eastman did allot $2,000.00 for support of the market.
Dodge County Commission Chair Dan McCranie informed Cheek that he needed a motion. “Well, I make that a motion.”, Cheek stated.
McCranie then called for a second to Cheek’s motion. No commissioner spoke or offered any comments or a second.
“The motion dies due to lack of a second,” McCranie stated.
After a few moments, McCranie called for a motion to approve the proposed 2018 budget as it had been presented. (Editor’s Note: A copy of the 2018 Dodge County budget was published in the December 20, 2017 issue of The Dodge County News.)
A motion was made and seconded.
In spite of making an earlier motion/recommendation to amend the budget to add the $3,035.00 or at least half of that for support of the farmers’ market, Cheek voted along with the majority to approve the 2018 Dodge County budget.
The budget that was approved wouldn’t include financial assistance to the farmers’ market.
As per the fate of the farmers’ market in Dodge County, director Sharon Flanagan told The Dodge County News during a phone interview Tuesday that in spite of the lack of financial support from the Dodge County Board of Commissioners, “we will continue to operate the farmers’ market.”
Flanagan was appreciative of the board’s previous financial support and the board’s action from Tuesday of granting approval for the continued use of the property around the Dodge County Courthouse for the market.
“We are receiving $2,000.00 from the city of Eastman…which is what they gave us last year as well,” Flanagan said, and added, “and we have several people who have stepped up and volunteered to do some fundraising for us and make some private donations.”
A call was placed to the Eastman City Hall to speak with Eastman City Manager Jason Cobb to verify the city’s financial support of the market. Cobb was not available. City clerk Ivelyn Lampkin did confirm that the city of Eastman did allot $2,000.00 for support of the market.
Trackbacks
Trackback specific URI for this entry
No Trackbacks
Comments
Display comments as
(Linear | Threaded)
#1
Milton I Johnson
on
01/12/18 at 03:06 PM
[Reply]
I guess I understand why the Commissioners are being so demonstrative with their budget pruning. It sucks that they have to throw the baby out with the bath water and not fund the Farmers Market to make it clear to residents that whatever measures may be needed to boost deputies pay were taken. Dropping the support for the Farmers Market from this perspective was just low hanging fruit.
#2
Anonymous
on
01/17/18 at 01:30 PM
[Reply]
How much does it cost to park a truck and make a cardboard sign? I support it, but haven't seen where the money is getting spent.
#3
Milton I Johnson
on
01/18/18 at 02:59 PM
[Reply]
There is a lot of record keeping and providing information to the state. Also, from past attendance numbers it can be shown that music and other activities cause a positive spike in market day attendance. Despite the market being advertised on the radio and in the local papers you constantly hear of people that didn't know about it or first heard about it through those ads. Only a few free opportunities are given to the market by the radio and news outlets. For 2016 market manager volunteers gave up the weekly hours and market day hours for setup and management to make the magic happen. When the market started up I was one of those individuals helping on market days. With the market being open year round that's a lot of volunteer sacrifice to ask of anyone. The market moved towards having a market manager that was paid a small stipend in the 2016 budget.
#4
Milton I Johnson
on
01/18/18 at 03:00 PM
[Reply]
If we want things like this and future Main street events in the case of the City, we are going to have to pay people to do the glue work that it takes for it all to be successful. Our community's normal response of piling more work on top of someone's load or going the feast or famine route of relying on when people can make it to volunteer are what contribute to good things closing up shop and stopping in the community.
