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AGENDA
Community Services Committee Regular Meeting
5:00 PM - Monday, June 1, 2020
Videoconference
1. Farmer's Market Update
a) Memo
2. Parks and Trails Update
COMMUNITY SERVICES
DEPARTMENT
M E M O R A N D U M
DATE: 5/15/20
TO: Ruth Pérez, Council President
Members of Renton City Council
CC: Armondo Pavone, Mayor
Robert Harrison, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Kelly Beymer, Community Services Administrator
STAFF CONTACT: Carrie Olson, Farmers Market Coordinator
SUBJECT: 2020 Renton Farmers Market Season
City of Renton staff have been hard at work planning the Renton Farmers Market (RFM)
2020 season and would like to inform you all of the changes you will see .
Due to additional COVID19 Plan requirements from Public Health‐Seattle & King County
(PHSKC), the Market is approved to run on a weekly basis, upon review of operations
after each Market day. Opening day will be as originally planned on Tuesday, June 2,
2020 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
New requirements include:
Farmer/food‐based vendors only; no non‐essential vendors allowed;
Health screening of market staff, vendors and volunteers;
No other activities that encourage crowds/lingering such as: live entertainment,
community groups, cooking demonstrations, or kids’ activities
Monitored public entrance and exits, with a limit of two shoppers allowed per
vendor inside the Market footprint;
Monitored Market entrance line and Market footprint, to maintain social
distancing requirements and proper shopper numbers;
Ten foot spacing between vendor booths;
Six foot spacing between shoppers in Market and while in line to enter Market;
Encouraging one shopper per household, and to leave children at home;
Hand wash or sanitation stations at each entrance and exit;
RFM determined that the best way to follow these new regulations would be to move
operations over to the gravel parking areawest of Gateway Park, to the site formerly
known as the ‘Big 5 lot.’ Due to the move and new spacing requirements, there will be
AGENDA ITEM #1. a)
Ruth Pérez, Council President
Page 2 of 2
May 15, 2020
limited space for vendors, approximately 20, down from over 60 in the Piazza
Park/Logan Avenue location. Because of the space limitations, RFM will have only
farmers, with the possibly of a few staple food item vendors onsite for the month of
June.
As referenced above, 20 vendors will only allow for 40 shoppers in the Market footprint
at one time, requiring outreach and messaging to the Renton community about the
importance of the one shopper per household suggestion.
Furthermore, it is important to remember that operations of RFM are under a weekly
review from PHSKC. Under the following circumstances, PHSKC can require the market
to discontinue if:
● PHSKC receives a number of legitimate complaints regarding a lack of compliance;
● Lack of verificaƟon/documentaƟon;
● Lack of follow‐up with identified issues;
● Reports of exposures to COVID‐19, or of illnesses resulting from exposure and failure
to manage the situation.
While these changes will be instituted for the month of June, there is a possibility that
they will last the entire season. The situation will be evaluated continuously by
Community Services, and we will work with PHSKC to determine if and when Market
operations can expand in 2020.
RFM understands the importance of access to healthy food for everyone in the Renton
community, and will continue to accept Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP)
benefits (over $40,000 in 2019), as well as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP) benefits (over $10,000 in 2019) which will also be matched dollar‐for‐dollar with
our new SNAP Market Match program (formerly known as Fresh Bucks). Additionally,
we will continue to encourage and collect donations for delivery to the Salvation Army
Renton Food Bank each week (over 3,000 pounds in 2019).
AGENDA ITEM #1. a)