HomeMy WebLinkAboutA001 - Council Action Form dated November 26, 2024ITEM #:9
DATE:11-26-24
DEPT:ADMIN
SUBJECT:REQUESTS FOR AMES MAIN STREET FARMERS' MARKET
COUNCIL ACTION FORM
BACKGROUND:
The Ames Regional Economic Alliance is planning to host the annual Ames Main Street Farmers’
Market this summer, which will take place on the 300 and 400 blocks of Main Street and on Burnett
Avenue from Main Street to the U.S. Bank drive-through. The Market will operate every Saturday from
May 3, 2025 to October 11, 2025 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. To facilitate set-up and teardown, streets
and parking spaces need to be closed from 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. each day.
To facilitate the event, organizers request a blanket Vending License for the entire Central Business
District from 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. each day of the Market, which will allow downtown businesses that
file an insurance certificate with the City to display items for sale on the sidewalks. The Chamber has
requested that the $50 Vending License fee be waived.
Organizers have also requested the use of Tom Evans Plaza between the hours of 5:30 a.m. and 1:30
p.m. for vendor booths and entertainment. As in previous years, this space would be used for
entertainment and educational activities for children and families. However, to prevent damaging the
turf in the plaza, vendors will not be permitted to use the turf areas for their activities.
The use of electricity in Tom Evans Plaza, along Main Street and on Burnett Avenue has also been
requested. Organizers have requested a waiver of the $5 per day fee for use of electricity.
To facilitate the Market, organizers have also requested that the two- and four-hour limits in parking in
CBD Lots X and Y be waived during Market hours. Additionally, 75 metered parking spaces will be
closed for 4.5 metered hours each day the Market operates. City staff estimates that this will result in
a loss of $2,025 to the Parking Fund.
Market organizers have requested that the meter fees be waived because the Market is a non-profit
organization, and in return the City would be included as a sponsor on all Market advertising materials.
The City Council’s adopted parking fee waiver policy allows the City Council to waive parking
fees on a case-by-case basis for requests that do not involve District-wide free parking. Last year,
the City Council did not waive meter fees for this event.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. Approve the requested street and parking space closures from 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays
from May 3 to October 11, use of Tom Evans Plaza for entertainers, use of City electrical outlets,
a blanket Vending License, suspension of parking enforcement in CBD Lots X and Y from 6:30
a.m. to 1:00 p.m. each of the affected days, and waiver of the fees only for the Vending License
and electricity use. This alternative requires reimbursement for lost parking meter revenue
in the amount of $2,025.
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2. Approve the requests as stated in Alternative No. 1, but do not require Farmers’ Market to
reimburse the City for the Vending License, electricity use, or parking meter revenue.
3. Deny the requests.
CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION:
The Main Street Farmers’ Market has successfully attracted visitors to the Downtown for the last
several years. It has become a signature event in Ames, enhancing the local economy and providing a
family-friendly activity that showcases the Ames community. However, due to the overall poor
health of the City’s Parking Operations Fund, staff is advising that the Council require
reimbursement for lost parking revenue, as was the case in previous years. Therefore, it is the
recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council adopt Alternative No. 1, as noted above.
ATTACHMENT(S):
AMS Letter of Support 2025.pdf
AMS Request Letter 2025.pdf
2025 AMS Farmers Market Application - CC.pdf
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