TO: HONORABLE MAYOR FROM: Councilmember David Cohen
AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT: SEE BELOW DATE: 8/30/2022
Approved Date: August 30, 2022
SUBJECT: Berryessa Flea Market Consulting Agreements
RECOMMENDATION
Accept all recommendations from the staff memorandum.
BACKGROUND
Last year’s council action to approve the San José Flea Market Southside Rezoning project gave the vendors of the flea market a voice and protections for the first time in 15 years. Since then, members of the Berryessa Flea Market Vendor Association, city staff from multiple departments, and community advocates have worked together, building capacity, trust, and momentum towards the implementation of the Flea Market Advisory Group. Today’s action marks an important milestone in providing the Berryessa Flea Market vendors the agency they’ve been denied all these years. Thanks to the staff, vendors and the community for their efforts over the past year to get to this point.
As part of the preparation work this group has undertaken, they determined that the three economic studies that are being commissioned are vital to the work the Flea Market Advisory Group will be chartered to complete. I agree with their holistic approach to studying the economic benefits and cultural impacts of the existing Flea Market as the starting point of their process. I believe it will create a plethora of options for the Advisory Group to discuss, debate and deliberate that will eventually become a set of recommendations to present to council in the years ahead.
I strongly urge my council colleagues to support the Flea Market vendors and their allies in implementing the process that they created, and to do so without inserting any artificial constraints.
COUNCIL AGENDA: 8/30/2022
FILE#:
ITEM:
22-1286
8.1