Comments on: Council Caucus: Near North PUD

By: peter

peter — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 07:16:13 +0000

just a reminder when speaking of “Kapnick Orchards”

the farm which is not affiliated with the original Kapnick Orchards Inc. is called R&S farm inc. dba kapnick orchards. it rents land and trees in and around lenawee county as it does not own any of the kapnick land.. janice kapnick only relinquished her business name to this corporation. that took place in april of this year. janice did not sell her business to this corporation nor was her business transfered to this corp. janice kapnick has been renting her assest of the retail store to another corp called Kapnick farm market inc. for 1000. per month.
The corp. division of the DLEG maintains a data base of all corps. on their website dheck it out

By: consumers

consumers — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 03:10:13 +0000

here’s info received last week fro the MI Dept. of Agriculture regarding 2 vendors of the market to further indicate buying and selling at the market

Gracia J&T is not licensed as a grower. They have licensed as a Nursery Plant Market. (NPM010247 and NPM010249) Both licenses expiring 10/31/2009. Thank you for your inquiry.

Island Gardens is not licensed as a grower. They are licensed as a Nursery Plant Market (NPM001057) expiring 10/31/2009. Thank you for your inquiry.

as you can see consumers can’t count on the city to tell them who’s a producer or not..

By: Luis Vazquez

Luis Vazquez — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:45:42 +0000

OK, I’m willing to concede that the DDA may not be the best entity to transfer jurisdiction of the Farmer’s Market to, but something obviously needs to be done to change the benign neglect of Community Services Administrator Jayne Miller and others in the city. My point is that the City’s Parks and Recreation Department has done a dismal job in running the market by going through 3 managers in five years, by delaying basic needs like painting and lighting for years, by encouraging the Mayor and Council to dissolve a Market Commission that was simply trying to get Market Operating Rules updated – and more importantly, enforced. Over $120,000 of Market funds went into design of a new facility with updates for stormwater detention, with the end result being no renovation at all – and no way to recoup the money that was spent. The process wasted the time of a group of volunteers, who spent countless hours poring over designs and plans and attending public meetings. Parks and Recreation couldn’t manage to get the community support necessary to make a successful renovation project. The Market Master Plan has been tabled indefinitely by City Council, mainly because the costs for renovation – after all of the delays – zoomed up to over $2 million. There is some citizen opposition to the use of Parks and Rec millage funds being used to renovate the market, so another entity should be sought to manage the market. The market site IS a parking lot, after all, and I would logically assume there would be less opposition to the use of parking meter money being used to renovate the market, rather than taxpayer dollars. Two benches at the market do not make it a park, in my opinion.

The City deserves a Public space which is accessible to all, which is aesthetically pleasing, and which serves the needs of more of the citizens of Ann Arbor. The market space could be much more than a drab-looking parking lot. Look at all the interest in local foods, and the possibilities of having additional markets – such as at Liberty Lofts. Foodies in Ann Arbor are already looking for alternatives.

By: Rici

Rici — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:57:28 +0000

I also don’t see the point in transferring Farmer’s Market control to the DDA. The DDA comes across to me as looking out for their own (business owner) interests, not the interests of the city or the public. For example, their current hope to shut down the Link – it has increased ridership since it added a UM loop, but it’s not “the right kind” of ridership so they want to axe it. If the Market is seen to be competing with DDA members, will they further restrict it?

By: Luis Vazquez

Luis Vazquez — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:28:11 +0000

Thank you, Amy for your support to root out what I see as corruption at the market. When I first arrived at the market on Saturday for my protest and petition, there were two Ann Arbor Police vehicles present. After 45 minutes, one of the officers came over to me and asked “Is this all you’re likely to be doing here today?” I found it interesting that taxpayer money was spent to have Police at a celebratory event, monitoring a peaceful protest – who called them and asked them to be there?

So far I have collected over 50 signatures on my petition for better baked goods rules at the market. When I have collected over 100, I will bring my petition to City Council, and request that they act on the proposed baked goods rules.

To Karen Sidney: although the market manager Molly Notarianni may be doing a good job (in your opinion), her supervisors Jeffrey Straw and Jayne Miller definitely are not (in my opinion). Any time the former market commission got close to making reforms of Market Operating Rules, and obtaining management’s enforcement of rules, Jayne Miller would shuffle the deck by switching personnel responsible for managing the market, grabbing power from the citizen commission, and insulating herself from citizen participation with the likes of Jeff Straw and others, who dismiss certain complaints of rules violations, but act on others. And now they expect the vendors to pay for Mr Straw’s salary with increased stall fees! This is outrageous in my opinion! It really depends on WHO files complaints now, and I am considering filing suit against the City for dismissing my complaint that Kapnick’s does not make the baked goods they sell at our market.

Frankly, I am surprised at you and your significant other Glenn Thompson. Usually I see you muckraking in the City’s finances, trying to identify and point out where you think monies are being misspent. Well, in this case I believe you and Glenn are turning a blind eye to the existing and continuing corruption in the form of certain vendors not operating within the Market Operating Rules, but given the go-ahead by Molly, Jeff, and Jayne. Why shouldn’t the City consider transferring oversight of the Public Market to another entity, since Parks and Recreation have screwed it up?

By: Karen Sidney

Karen Sidney — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:28:41 +0000

I don’t see any benefit from transferring market oversight to the DDA. The current manager is doing an excellent job of running the market. The market was without an inspector for a while, but now has one to make regular site visits.

Because the market is an enterprise fund, it has to pay fees to other city funds for IT and municipal service charges. In theory, these fees might be reduced if the DDA took over management. In practice, the cash strapped city would find a way to continue to get that money, probably by charging the DDA rent for the market space like they charge the DDA rent for the parking spaces.

By: amy t.

amy t. — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 07:17:32 +0000

thank you Mr. Vazquez for coming to the market with your petition. one can only wonder why Mr. Robertello of Kapnick Orchards and the market management would not speak to reporters from the new media. I hope you received several signatures as many do not believe manufactured products should not be allowed and new rules regarding baked goods be adopted soon