PRESS
RELEASE
Farmers Markets to Remain Open to Give Interested Parties Time to
Work Out Details
MONTGOMERY – John McMillan today announced
developments that could result in keeping both State Farmers’ Markets open. As
a result, McMillan, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture &
Industries, said the facilities will remain open at least another week to give
interested parties time to work out details.
He released the following statement earlier today:
“Since
last week’s announcement that we would
have to close the Coliseum and Fairview Farmers Markets for budgetary reasons,
several individuals and organizations have come forward to offer ideas that may
allow the markets to remain open. We are grateful for the community
support for these markets and interest in allowing them to operate.
“One of
these options for the Fairview Market is with
the City of Montgomery.
The City has offered to lease a small portion of the market space for a police
presence and allow the market to continue operating in the majority of the
space. The lease payments, combined with other cost-saving measures, will
allow the Department to operate the markets in a manner that does not rely on
taxpayers to subsidize the operations.”
“Officials with our
Department are also in discussion with business interests and current tenants
at the Coliseum Market who have offered to lease that facility. Their lease
payments, along with reassignment of Department staff and other cost-saving
measures, will allow that market to operate without a drain on taxpayer
dollars.
“We will continue to
explore all of our options regarding both markets. As the Department is
carrying this out, we have decided it is in the best interest of all concerned
to allow both markets to remain open for a minimum of a seven-day period while
we hold these discussions.”
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