BANFF – The operator of next year’s farmers market in Banff is still up in the air for now.
In anticipation of competing applications for next year and into the future, council voted 4-3 on Monday (Oct. 15) to go to a merit-based system to determine next year’s market manager.
Rene Geber, the founder of the Banff Farmers Market, who lost his opportunity to run the popular Wednesday market this year after eight years, called on council to implement an adjudicated merit-based process based on experience and qualifications.
“I am happy that council decided to go with a merit-based system, as opposed to a draw out of a hat they did this year, which seemed completely crazy to me,” said Geber.
“The new market manager position should be a multi-year contract of three or five years and this gives the manager the incentive to invest back into the market, as I had done in the past.”
Operation of the 2019 market was awarded through a lottery system because, for the first time in the market’s eight-year history, another applicant expressed interest last December in running the event this past summer.
The farmers market is considered a special event in Banff, guided by policy and standards, but they are silent on what to do when there is more than one applicant for a recurring special event.
Geber did not have a formal agreement, or contractual arrangement with Town of Banff to manage the farmers market, so the municipality accepted an application from Julia Freeman, who runs the Canmore Mountain Market.
As with other recurring special events, such as Melissa’s and the Banff Marathon, there’s a requirement for eight months notice in advance of the event, so the municipality can block the calendar.
The Town did not have that notice from Geber and decided to go to a lottery to determine the market manager following Freeman’s application. With five complete applications by the Feb. 1 2019 deadline, a lottery was held. Freeman was randomly picked.
Town of Banff officials say special event standards allowed the municipality to accept applications on a first-come, first-serve basis, but because of the history with Geber, opted against this in this situation.
“Because of our previous positive relationship and the history, we decided not to go with first-come, first-serve and we agreed on a lottery process,” said Jason Darrah, the Town’s communications director.
“We recognize this change did cause distress, and it wasn’t our intention in any way. We felt it was the most fair, transparent and open process.”
Both Freeman and Geber want to manage the market next year.
In 2019, approximately 110 vendors, about 50 full-time and 60 part-time, participated in the market. Of the 110, about 70 had participated in Banff before and 40 had not.
Freeman said she’s confident in her ability to continue running the Banff market, noting she had amazing support from the vendors.
“With a background in event coordination, I understand the importance of managing positive relationships, quick problem solving, being capable of adapting to change and working in a high-pressured environment with competing priorities,” she wrote in a letter to the Town of Banff.
“My vision for the 2020 market and beyond is to build upon the successes of the 2019 market by continuing to create a truly unique mountain market experience and strengthen the sense of community pride around farmers markets in Banff.”
Geber said he’s hoping to win it back, noting he did a great job running the market for eight years.
He said the Banff market would again be a member of the Alberta Farmers Market Association (BFMA) under his management, noting it provides great incentives for vendors, such as cheaper insurance.
“Being a member of AFMA allows people to make, bake or grow goods at home and sell them at the market. Not being a member of AFMA, all of those vendors baking cookies, canning goods would have to rent time in an expensive and often unavailable commercial kitchen,” he said.
At Monday’s council meeting, elected officials also considered changing the existing management structure of the farmers market from to be managed and operated in-house by the Town of Banff
Under this option – which was supported by Mayor Karen Sorensen and councillors Grant Canning and Corrie DiManno only – the Town would take over direct management of the market as a facility operation, and contract a coordinator similar to the Town of Canmore management of its farmers market, similar to the Town contracting a market operator and entertainment during Canada Day, or similar to the Town contracting an operator of the Banff Canoe Club through a tender process.
Mayor Sorensen said she believed a merit-based system is too subjective, noting taking the market in-house would give the Town more control, including in dealing with complaints, and be run at cost recovery.
She said Canmore Mayor Borrowman suggested this option has worked very well for Canmore.
“No matter whoever is managing the market, I believe our visitor population assumes it’s the Town,” she said.
Coun. Peter Poole, who voted for a merit-based system, was opposed to going this way.
“I think we have a situation where what started off as a grassroots dream before we had a sophisticated events policy is now being encumbered by costly and bureaucratic rules,” he said.
“I’d be really hesitant to spoil the entrepreneurial drive, we should let the entrepreneurs have as much authority to do that. I’m worried by taking it in we might spoil the energy.”
