Dubuque Main Street Update & Report on Changes and Other Police_Farmer's Market Copyrighted
April 16, 2018
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 10.
ITEM TITLE: Dubuque Main Street Update & Report on Changes and
other Policy for Farmers' Market 2018
SUMMARY: Dubuque Main Street submitting update & report on
changes and other policy for Farmers' Market 2018 letter.
SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Dubuque Main Street Letter Supporting Documentation
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April 10, 2018
Dubuque City Council Members
City of Dubuque
50 West 13`h Street
Dubuque, Iowa 5200]-4864
RE: Update & Report on Changes and other policy for Farmers' Market `]8
Dear Honorable Mayor and City Council Members:
As your Contract Service provider for the Dubuque Farmers' Market, Dubuque Main Street
(DMS) regularly evaluates our Market layout, policies and logistics. In prepazation for the
upcoming 2018 outdoor market we have made a few significant updates and wouid also like to
report on policy/rules decisionsthat have been assessed overthe pastseveral months.
In bulleted format here are a few updates for you on these various topics:
Afrer observing inattentive behavior by both pedestrians and drivers over the past four years, a
free speech demonstration, and an act of nature knocking out our customized traffic light
signalization for a couple weeks; we have worked with City staff to facilitate the closing of the
Iowa & 12`h Street intersection. The reasoning and logistics of this change include:
• Public Safety is the highest priority
• The flow of the marketplace and consumer experience will be enhanced in the long term.
• Maintaining access to the private, but FREE, 90+ parking-space Fischer-Company lot
(negotiated yearly by DMS) was a MUST. Thus, the traffic limitations on the two blocks
of 12�h Street will be barricaded and implemented as a "closed to through traffic"closure.
• Our annual vendor survey indicated a super-majority(81%:9%, 1 I DNA) voted for the
intersecrion closure.
• Committee and staff further review resulted in a plan for implementation with the above-
mentioned parking lot accessible.
In addition, after four years of consideration and with the additional closing of] lt" Street for
Market two years ago, all vendors 11`h Street & south will vend to the street:
• This will help assure ADA Compliance
• It will better allow pedestrian flow through market, improving on previous congestion
• Peer markets have demonstrated increased sales after similar implementation, unifying
consumer traffic patterns
• This change should result in less tripping incidents by reducing consumer flow over curbs
and ramps.
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• Although we put more humans in the street, fire safety officials say people are moveable.
Parked vehicles and trailers are not. Certain blocks of mazket will become less of a
vendor parking lot and more of a mercantile.
• This action was suggested for consideration by consultants in the fall 2014, proposed by
our committee chair/board liaison, and discussed by committee at least since December
2014. After further observation of safety and accessibility issues escalating at market
2016, the change was endorsed by DMS board, our attorney & insurance provider.
• We will likely look to implement this change in the 1100 block oF Iowa in 2019.
As our market grows, with diverse consumers, DMS finds it necessary to expand our options and
outreach to everyone in our community. We have received money from the USDA (Farmers
Market Promotional Program), as well as Iowa Healthiest State (& their Food Insecurity
Nutrition Incentive) grants, as well local business sponsorships. It is an expectation of these
funders that we implement a market-wide program to enhance accessibility of locally produced
food (&products) to everyone in the community, and thus, we introduced the token program that
has received national and state recognition For its efficiency and growth. These grants and
sponsors not only help to expand our payment methods, but also help to pay for marketing,
which allows us to reach out to new market patrons.
The Market Money program is a four-fold win:
1. Low-income families have access to healthy, fresh, foods.
2. The local farmers and vendors gain new customers, make more money, and sell more
product/produce.
3. It keeps money in the local community.
4. It allows us to also help our vendors accept debit & credit payments from the general
public without worrying about reliability of neither equipment nor fees for
transactions.
From 2016-2017 our Market Money program has increased 24% percent for SNAP and 44% for
CrediUDebit transactions.
Justification for having all vendors accepting the Market Money program includes:
• It brings unity to our market, which was feedback from as vast majority of vendors,
including in the 2017 Dubuque Farmers' Market survey.
• Every week our market booth clerks report consumers retuming to the booth with
frustration and confusion on their inability to use the tokens at all booths.
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• Despite advice from New Orleans, Des Moines and Madison to make token
acceptance mandatory, we decided to see how it went for three seasons. Through
those seasons, our vendors have been reimbursed 100 percent of their transactions
and we have not experienced any fraud.
• We were down to a handful (about 5%) of vendors who still chose, through the end of
last year, not to accept this payment method and as stated, our funders, our committee
and our board have reached the decision that for the betterment of market, we need to
make acceptance universal.
• Vendors may sign up for ACH/Direct Deposit, allowing the money to be dropped into
their account within 72 federal business hours. We charge no fees to our vendors, as
our sponsors provide monies to cover these expenses.
As always we appreciate the opportunity to manager this significant community asset on the city
of Dubuque citizens' behal£ If anyone wishes additional information on DMS's Farmers'
Market management, please contact us at 563-588-4400.
Sincerely,
��---� ���c��-�.
J ynn Pike Daniel L. LoBianco
Farmers' Market Manager Executive Director
cc: Mike Van Milligen
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