Farmers Market Sues City over Pave or Vacate MandateHeather Callaghan This little market bought an unoccupied former business building in Mount Jackson in an effort to improve the town and provide a fun place for all kinds of vendors. The market performs every year at a financial and emotional loss because they believe its so important and rewarding to provide a market and a place for local fare. Otherwise, people have to go to the next town over for organic and the town remains more abandoned. They wanted downtown Mount Jackson to be like it was historically where its at! For years, a gravel lot was effectively used for parking and by the owners for activities in and around the building. Plans were made by the market to improve the lot and building but extensions were needed to finish in order to continue the summer market and because of economic hardship on the facilitators, namely, Gerald Forsburg. See a short news vid here. Town council required them to have a paved asphalt or concrete lot at great expense $15,000 $20,000 to the market, but the owners asked for an extension and to be able to continue the pending summer market. Council shot that down because of ordinance which apparently stems from aesthetics. So, it was pave or get out. Oh, where have we heard that gem before? Look up our articles on front yard garden shut-downs. The market had to cancel summer events and the produce orders because of the requirements, cancel vendor agreements, and are at a loss for a whole year. So how can they ever get ahead at this point to even think about paving? Who runs this town Mr. Potter of Bedford Falls? I mean just kick them down so they cant ever operate again! Suffocating people with permits, requirements, codes and ordinances is one way to kill fresh food access and kill your town. The leaders of Mt Jackson are paid to run the town into a barren ground. Mt Jackson city council was caught cherry-picking which businesses to hold to this ordinance for paving and which businesses theyd look away from with unpaved lots. Mt Jackson Farmers Market reports: The market saw a bigger drop in funds when the council banned them from using sandwich board signs in 2011 to advertise the times and place even though other businesses were allowed. Theres more this is about the councilman who voted them down: Thus, exempting businesses is not permissible, nor is permitting extensions of time to meet requirements, but re-writing codes to benefit select businesses is? So like Orwells Animal Farm, some are more equal than others Clearly, theres a bias here. Why dont they just pave? Check out the declaratory judgment and permanent injunction filed against the town and acting manager Charles Moore. Its not a suit for monetary means, its to stop the town from prohibiting the market when theres a perfectly good hard surface thats been in use for years. Also read their Letter to the Editor. But the suit also calls for legal fees and this years losses if the town continues to keep them out over freaking asphalt. Heather Callaghan is a natural health blogger and food freedom activist. You can see her work atNaturalBlaze.com and selfnewsPost.com. Like at Facebook. Read other articles by Heather Callaghan Here 