Cotati City Council
Agenda Staff Report
Item type: CONSENT CALENDAR (ACTION)
To: City Council
Subject: APPROVAL OF 2025 FARMERS MARKET EVENT IN LA
PLAZA PARK
Date: April 8, 2025
Written by: Ashley Wilson, Recreation Manager
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution: 1. Approving an event for Agricultural Community Events Farmers Markets to be held every Wednesday evening from June 4th through September 24th, 2025 in La Plaza Park; and 2. Authorizing the temporary closure of some parking spaces adjacent to La Plaza Park; and 3. The use of amplified live entertainment; and 4. Sales of food by vendors and food trucks; and 5. The sales of alcoholic beverages in La Plaza Park for the Markets; and 6. Subsidizing limited staff costs and City contribution in connection therewith.
Background
Agricultural Community Events Farmers Markets is a 501(c)(5) non-profit company which operates a number of farmers’ markets in the region. It currently operates markets in Santa Rosa, Marinwood, Glen Ellen, Rohnert Park, Petaluma, Downtown Novato, and Fairfax. This will be its twelfth year operating the Cotati Farmer’s Market. Agricultural Community Events Farmers Markets has proposed a market format very similar to that of past years and will host many of the same vendors. A full description of event operations and a map of activities are attached to the resolution as Exhibit B.
Analysis/Discussion
Agricultural Community Events is proposing a 2025 Wednesday night market season (“Event”) beginning on June 4th and ending September 24th between the hours of 4:30pm to 7:30pm (Park use hours include set up and tear down, 2:00pm to 9:00pm). The Farmers Market would have exclusive use of La Plaza Park and is requesting the exclusive use of parking spaces adjacent to the park on La Plaza between Old Redwood Highway and West Cotati Avenue. In addition to the sales of produce and food sales by food trucks and vendors, there will be sales of crafts and other goods, amplified live entertainment and alcoholic beverage sales.
California Vehicle Code Section 21101 (e) authorizes the temporary closing of any street for celebrations, parades, local events and other purposes when, in the opinion of local authorities having jurisdiction, the closing is necessary for the safety and protection of persons who are to use that portion of the street during the temporary closing. The Police Department will notify the appropriate public agencies and emergency response agencies of street closures if they do take place.
The attached letter from Agricultural Community Events Farmers Markets outlines a variety of logistical requests of the City (see items numbered 1-5) and a request to pay 50% of the associated fees per Park Use Permit Policy. Required fees and deposits for use of La Plaza Park (“Park”) for non-residents are an application fee of $53, a use fee of $213/day for events with 249 or less attendees and a deposit of $250/day which is refundable if the Park is left clean and undamaged. For the weekly events, over 17 weeks, the staff recommends that the City collect twice the normal daily damage deposit of $250 ($500 total), which would be held until the end of the Farmers Market season. The total use fee for the 17-week event for non-profits is $26.50 for the application fee, $106.50/event day (50% reduction from $213/day, per the City Park Use Policy), for a season total of $1,837.
In order to keep City support costs to a minimum, staff is proposing that Agricultural Community Events Farmers Markets be responsible for its own equipment (including tables, chairs, barricades, signs and traffic cones) and parking space closures. This will eliminate the need for Public Works staff to assist with weekly set up or monitor return of City property.
Public Works staff would absorb the cost of installing and removing the banner across Old Redwood Highway (estimated cost, $300) at the beginning and end of the Farmers Market season. Other requested work, such as coordinating landscape schedules, and bee traps are routine activities.
Lastly, if approved by the City Council, the Farmer’s Market will be designated as a City sponsored event, which will also allow them to use garbage/recycling/compost bins at no cost.
The City is allotted ten (10) annual “free” service events in the Recology Franchise Agreement.
Historically, the City has requested free service for the following events as part of City sponsorship:
- Cotati Music Fest (Chamber event)
- Kids Day (City event)
- Cotati Accordion Fest (CAF event)
- Oktoberfest (Chamber event)
- Holiday Tree Lighting (City event)
- Historical Society BBQ (Cotati Historical Society Event) - Downtown Shop & Stroll (Farmers Market Event)
-Creek Week (City event)
- Temporary cans in La Plaza Park from June-September, which includes the Farmers Market, movie nights, and National Night Out.
Other events that staff are aware of that may request/need additional solid waste service are:
- Cotati Candyland – The City hasn’t requested cans in the past but it may be needed in the future in areas outside of La Plaza Park.
As a City Sponsored Event, it is expected that the organizer will prominently feature the City of Cotati as an event sponsor on all advertising and marketing materials.
Financial Considerations
The City would collect a total of $1,837 for this event, plus a refundable deposit of $500. Total estimated cost to the City in the form of staff time to support the proposed 17-night event and performance of road closures is estimated to be no more than $2,137. This cost is included within the regular staff time of the City’s General Fund and no additional appropriations are needed at this time.
Environmental Issues
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a project which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, pursuant to CEQA Guideline section 15378.