The Calhoun City Board of Aldermen voted unanimously Monday night to remove the arbor from the town square.
The board authorized Mayor J.R. Denton to seek potential property, either existing town property or some to lease, for relocating the arbor.
“Because of the grant that was received, it has to go somewhere,” Board Attorney Paul Moore Jr. said of the arbor.
J.R. Denton
The grant was obtained by the Chamber of Commerce to benefit the local farmers’ market – Walkabout Wednesday – that runs from late spring to early fall. Vendors set up each Wednesday under the arbor during the market.
While chamber officials have noted the arbor has been well used by the market, town officials said they’ve received negative feedback about it’s appearance, prompting the board to explore other options.
“We want the chamber to know that we are behind them and the farmers’ market,” Mayor Denton said at Monday’s meeting.
Denton explained town crews would take the arbor down in a manner that it can be re-installed somewhere once a permanent location can be found. He said the chamber will then decide if they want to move the farmers’ market to that location or keep it on the square.
Whether the market returns to the square or not, vendors selling anytime will not be allowed to sell from their vehicles in parking spaces around the square.
The board approved a new policy that prohibits any selling on the asphalt of the square, which is MDOT property. That policy will take effect whenever the arbor is relocated.
The new policy also gives the chamber governance over what items can be sold by visiting vendors at any time, not just during the farmers market. The board cited safety concerns as to why they wanted the vendors to stop selling in the street.