CALL TO ORDER

Chair Flores called the meeting to order at 5:33pm

ROLL CALL

5 -

Present:

Absent:

Lisa Young, Jeff Nemeth, Emma Hardy, Marcus Flores,

and Karlene Goetz

1 - Will Brinkerhoff

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

A motion was made by Hardy, seconded by Nemeth, that the

Agenda be Approved as presented. On a voice vote, Chair Flores

declared the motion carried.

FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTARY (AGENDA ITEMS ONLY) - (3 Minutes per Speaker)

This is an opportunity for persons to speak up to 3 minutes about an issue that is

listed as a public hearing on this agenda. To comment on such matters, please call:

(877) 8535247 or (888) 788 0099 and enter meeting ID# 968 6326 2695. City staff will

select callers that have 'raised their hand' one-by-one. In order to electronically raise

your hand to indicate your desire to speak, please press *9 on your phone. You will

hear an

automated announcement that the host is allowing you to speak. Please state your

name and address at the beginning of your comments.

Market vendor Debbie Marx said she is glad that there is an in

person meeting coming up. She said she is also glad that the

inspection will be coming soon and says it has to be new people

first, followed by new people from last year.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS

A motion was made by Hardy, seconded by Nemeth, that the

February Meeting Minutes be Approved as presented. On a voice

vote, Chair Flores declared the motion carried.

REGULAR BUSINESS (AGENDA ITEMS)

I. General Updates

a. staffing

b. 2026 applications

March 1 returning vendors

April 1 new vendors

April 15 food truck rallies

musicians & community groups

c. LOGOS to Civic Rec Transition

New Vendor Invoicing Process

d. Inspections

e. Facility & Repairs

f. Neighboring Construction Updates

I. General Updates

a. staffing

Market Manager Stauffer said Assistant Market Manager Oriol is

currently on her two months off and will return mid-late April. She

said that Assistant Market Manager/Inspector Moss has begun

scheduling inspections and will conduct his first next week. She

clarified that as he takes on more inspections, his staff hours will be

shifting towards those responsibilities.

b. 2026 applications

March 1 returning vendors

Market Manager Stauffer said that the returning vendor deadline has

passed, and outside of known retirements, and some newer daily

status vendors that did not attend very often last year, the vast

majority of vendors will be returning: 69 annual vendors and 32

daily vendors. She mentioned that 8 daily vendors who did not

re-apply have not attended the current season at all.

She said that market staff is still in the process of filing all vendor

paperwork and collecting missing and forthcoming licensing. All

returning vendors should have received confirmation emails that

their application is complete or still needs current licensing info.

April 1 new vendors

Stauffer said market has received 56 applications for new 2026

vendors as of today. She anticipates receiving more as the April 1

deadline approaches. In February, she said they accepted 9 new

daily status vendors & 2 mobile food vendors, with 1 daily status

and 1 mobile food vendor of that group attending Wednesdays only.

She noted that this group is the highest quality vendors out of the

first batch we received that market staff had consensus on. Stauffer

said 3 of these new vendors will start this Saturday and 2 more on

4/4, with the rest joining in May.

She said market staff are still assessing the new applications

received since mid-February and will be issuing acceptances and

rejections after the 4/1 deadline. She specified that they will all have

orientations before they are allowed to start.

April 15 food truck rallies

Market Manager Stauffer said that at this point only returning

vendors have been accepted, for a maximum of 10-11 trucks & carts

per event. She said there is more interest than the market can

accommodate, but market staff are holding off on accepting a

couple new vendor applications that they want to include, but need

to learn more about the potential road closure on 4th Ave. In other

words, she said they don’t want to over-commit if there will be

reduced parking lot access. Stauffer said there would be more info

about that in agenda item E. More info about that in agenda item E.

Musicians & Community groups

Stauffer said market staff have confirmed the participation of 10

community groups so far and added them to the market calendar,

with other inquiries still coming in.

She said there is also live music booked for two of the food truck

rallies, and market staff have been sifting through the additional 5

musician applications we have received thus far. She also

announced that the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra confirmed

yesterday they will be returning for the annual concert on

Wednesday & Saturday market, and the SNAP/EBT free ticket

program will also be returning in late summer. Stauffer clarified that

market staff are trying to strike a balance between desire for music

and desire to not have loud music.

c. LOGOS to Civic Rec Transition

New Vendor Invoicing Process

Market Manager Stauffer explained that the market will be

transitioning this payment system payment on Civic Rec, better

facilitating online payments, and making it easier to make edits to

the invoices for market staff. She said that vendors that can still pay

market staff via cash, check, card & mobile pay, but the only big

change is that vendors can no longer pay at customer service in

City Hall but hopefully can pay online instead.

d. Inspections

Market Manager Stauffer asked Assistant Market Manager/Inspector

Moss to give an overview of the process he has for the market

inspections, and he gave his explanation about starting them. He is

prioritizing starting with the new vendors and then working his way

back from there. He said everyone has been welcoming and easy to

communicate with so far.

Commissioner Hardy asked what he will be inspecting when he

inspects the vendors and he gave more specifics.

e. Facility & Repairs/ f. Neighboring Construction Updates

Parks Deputy Manager Remy Long gave an introduction and

apology that he has not been more involved with PMAC meetings.

He then gave a very detailed presentation about the complexities

facing the market from the surrounding construction.

303 Detroit

Long said that the city gave 303 Detroit permission to stage part of

their development project in the market’s pocket park (the blue

rectangle on the map he showed). He mentioned that the staging

area will be set back 18 feet from the market roof and should have

no impact on parking at the market. He pointed out that it really

came down to a decision between closing 4th Ave for an extended

period of time, creating barriers on 4th to traffic flow, or just using

this small footprint of the market. Long said he can’t stress enough

how many conversations he has had to the point he can confirm

that it has been an exhaustive discussion. He noted that the city is

proceeding with the license agreement but is not signed yet. When it

is signed, he said the fencing should go up soon after. Long said

that the fencing will run along the perimeter of the footprint of the

fencing and it will have an opaque barrier so people cannot see into

the area. He also emphasized that the city retained the ability to put

informational barriers or artistic signs on the fencing.

Commissioner Young thanked him for bringing this information to

PMAC and asked if there would be a construction crane. He said

there could be an additional crane, but it would have to be a

separate agreement. If so, he said the crane boom would be situated

to the south due to their need, if the crane is located in that footprint.

He clarified that City staff are aware of all the dynamics at play in the

market. Young mentioned that the builder has not been a respectful

neighbor and hopes that they will be a better neighbor as a result.

Chair Flores asked a question about the timeline of when the

fencing will go up and what the potential crane usage would be if it

went in that direction. Long said the fencing is possibly going up

within the month but is not sure about the crane since it is not

determined yet. He would assume that the crane would be this

calendar year if that will be happening. Long said the deliveries for

the staging area will be on & off of 4th, not in the market itself.

Braun Court/4th Ave

Long began to explain the interconnectedness of the Braun Court

property with the 303 Detroit Street project. He said that the

development is supposed to move forward in the coming months

but does not have any additional timeline specifics. He noted that

the project includes the replacement of the water main underneath

4th Ave and that it is still being determined the where/when/how of

this project is moving forward and City engineers are still working

on it. He said that it will require the full closure of 4th Ave to the

North edge of that main and will take a minimum of 8 weeks. Long

said he wanted everyone to know that he has communicated with

emphasis that the Ann Arbor Farmers Market is an essential City

service. He is speaking about the water main issue and said that

there will also potentially be another partial closure of 4th for the

construction staging for the Braun Court project. He clarified that

the water main project is coming sooner and has more widespread

impacts. He said he met with all the folks in the city that they are all

on the same page about having to maintain at least one access

driveway to market access. He emphasized that he is doing all he

can to stay up to date on this and will let PMAC know more info

ASAP.

Commissioner Young thanked Long for his presentation and for his

efforts in looking out for the market. She asked whether the water

main will happen first and then the development, or if they are at the

same time. Long said it could be both or one or the other, but he

does not have confirmed information yet. Young also mentioned

that that construction project would have an impact on Dunbar

Tower people moving in. Long also said Market Manager Stauffer

has been instrumental in standing up for the market and providing

information on the potential impacts that it can have on everything.

He said that she has gone above and beyond to provide the level of

detail needed for him to have all these conversations with City staff.

Commissioner Goetz said she is really worried about the water main

situation and the impacts on access to the market parking lot for

farm trucks and vendor vehicles. Stauffer responded by mentioning

that her concerns are shared by all, but hopefully the timeline gets

pushed way back on that since it is not set yet.

Community Engagement RFP

Long said there are clearly some unique challenges for the market

and a distinct moment in market history. The goal is to get a

consultant to help facilitate the process and create a report on

future design and capital improvements for the market. He explained

that they are asking the firm selected for RFP 2718 to get 5-7 options

for the future of the market based on deep engagement with all

stakeholders for a 12-month full market assessment. After proposals

received, he said they will convene a selection committee. He noted

that there is an exceptional amount of interest so far from firms to

move forward with this and they could have a firm selected by the

end of April. After that, once Council approval is gained, he said the

consultants will be out at the market in the summer. Long said he

will be heavily involved in the process as will Market Manager

Stauffer. He also stated that PMAC will be the first body met with.

Commissioner Hardy said it seems that the timeline is hopefully

quick so that they get to work and that is great.

Long said they are seeking a 12-month process, but it may not be

that long, or it may be shorter, but the longer it takes the longer in

the future the improvements are.

Commissioner Young said she is glad that it is finally moving

forward. Long apologized for the delays and explained that park

planners have been so overwhelmed that it wasn’t moving as fast as

it should and he had to take the lead on the RFP himself.

Dunbar Tower

Market Manager Stauffer shared that the fences are down and

residents are moving in! She also noted that the market has

partnered with Avalon Housing to connect the residents on food

assistance with access to fresh food at the market. Since all

residents won’t be moved in until May, the leadership wants market

staff to have a community meeting with the residents then. In the

interim, they have requested fliers and info to share with the

residents. She also mentioned that the market contributed to a

‘welcome’ basket that the KDA president Grace Singleton

spearheaded putting together and delivering. What that looks like is

one voucher for each apartment that they can bring to the market to

receive one free $5 token. She mentioned that we have already had

one resident redeem theirs.

Commissioners Young & Hardy said they are excited that we have

partnered with Avalon to welcome the Dunbar Tower residents.

330 Detroit Street

Stauffer also shared that the construction fences are down and 5th

Ave is fully back open surrounding this development. She

mentioned that she read an mlive article that said they are still 6-8

months out from completion and market staff are still grappling with

workers parking in vendor access areas, but at least access has

improved from before.

NEW BUSINESS (NON-AGENDA ITEMS)

Commissioner Hardy stated that she has submitted the application

for her next term so that is all set.

Market Manager Stauffer told the body that she is canceling the

June PMAC meeting. She will be out of the country visiting family

with her dad who is experiencing health challenges.

Commissioner Young chimed in to have the April meeting in person.

Hardy said that date worked for her. Stauffer said she will will

coordinate with the clerk.

SECOND PUBLIC COMMENT (NOT LIMITED TO AGENDA ITEMS)

This is an opportunity for persons to speak up to 3 minutes about an issue that is

NOT listed as a public hearing on this agenda. To comment on such matters, please

call: (877) 8535247 or (888) 788 0099 and enter meeting ID# 968 6326 2695. City staff

will select callers that have 'raised their hand' one-by-one. In order to electronically

raise your hand to indicate your desire to speak, please press *9 on your phone. You

will hear an

automated announcement that the host is allowing you to speak. Please state your

name and address at the beginning of your comments.

Vendor Debbie Marx said she wants to thank everyone for their time

working on these matters for the market.

ADJOURNMENT

Chair Flores adjourned the meeting at 6:28