HOLLAND, MI (WHTC) – The decision to contract firms to operate the 8th Street Marketplace which includes Holland’s Farmer’s Market, is not sitting well with some Holland Residents.
The City of Holland has issued a “request for proposals” for firms to compete for the contract to operate the 8th Street Marketplace, which includes the Farmer’s Market, for the 2017 season, “with the possibility to renew for the 2018 season,” according to the document.
Holland Mayor Nancy DeBoer tells WHTC News it’s an “in between” decision. “In the long term we will be having someone that manages the whole site and all the events at the Civic Center and all of that. That is a coming thing. There was quite a bit of discussion at the council level about this decision. Nobody with a casual attitude towards the Farmer’s Market is gonna apply to do this. Somebody’s really got to have a passion to care for the market.”
Market Master Candy Todd and Market Assistant Judy Laidler at the end of the current market season in November.
DeBoer went on to say that they need to have somebody in place so that they can understand and talk with Candy and Judy about how they have been running things and a history of how things run this year so when it’s under construction next year, the person has the contacts in the transition process.
Proposals will be accepted through Tuesday morning,September 13, with evaluations to be made over the following three weeks before City Council hopes to select a Farmer’s Market Contractor on October 5th.
A link to the Request for Proposals on this matter is here.
– Gary Stevens contributed to this story.
