By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

The Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday approved a plan for the county’s interim management of the farmers’ market at the new Public Market House in Hillsborough.

In August, two opposing groups appealed to the board for control of the Hillsborough Farmers’ Market and have since split into separate markets. Both markets asked to administer the farmers’ market at the new Public Market House, but the commissioners, expressing aversion at being forced to choose between the two groups, decided the county would run the market for an interim period.

“We think this is an opportunity to bring those two groups together under the auspices of the county,” Assistant County Manager Willie Best said.

The county’s plan includes vendor rules, market manager responsibilities and a Public Market House Interim Oversight Committee.
According to the county, the market manager and committee members will not be vendors and will not have a financial interest in any product sold at the market.

The committee, which will provide guidance to the market manager, review vendor complaints and review operations of the market house, is set to expire on or before February 19, 2009.