Park Ridge Farmers Market Committee Meeting Summary - September 16, 2026

The Park Ridge Farmers Market Committee met on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, in the City Hall Finance Conference Room in Park Ridge, Illinois. The agenda covered roll call, approval of the August 19, 2026 minutes, public comment, city liaison and market reports, discussion of rules of operation and new banners, a banner purchase action item, and subcommittee reports.

Roll Call and Minutes

• Roll call was conducted.
• The agenda item to approve the minutes of the August 19, 2026 meeting was taken up. The transcript does not record a separate vote or objection.

Public Comments and Testimony

• No members of the public addressed the committee during the citizens-wishing-to-be-heard-on-non-agenda-items portion of the agenda.

City Liaison and Market Reports

• The city liaison report was brief; the market season was wrapping up, and the Halloween market will include children's activities with a possible additional music tent.
• The market master and market manager reports did not raise major new action items. The final market of the season was expected to be the Halloween market.

Discussion Items

• Rules of Operation - Discussion only; no approval was sought.
  • Committee members agreed to add language protecting the Farmers Market logo to the rules and regulations before sending changes to the city attorney.
  • Application fee language was discussed; fees should be included in the application itself so the same information is not maintained in two places.
  • There was extended discussion of Illinois sales tax ID requirements. The finance department reportedly suggested including a statement that applicants must have a valid Illinois sales tax ID rather than collecting or tracking the ID. Some members questioned whether asking for the information without using it created liability and whether a simple note to comply with all Illinois rules and regulations would be better.
  • The market would not police state certification of scales; that issue was between the consumer and the business.
  • Participants discussed the existing requirement that vendors provide their own table and chairs and noted some vendors had not complied.
  • There was discussion about a previous committee decision not to limit business opportunities to Park Ridge businesses and about the market's smoking, vaping, and tobacco rules, including enforcement questions when conduct occurs on public property outside the market boundary.
  • A formatting issue was raised because an item labeled G appeared to be a standalone requirement under the phrase must meet one of the following categories.
• Purchase of New Banners - Discussion.
  • Brenda presented an inventory of banners, their sizes, and locations, noting that the city stores them and that the park district rotates a limited number.
  • Not all of the 20 banners are posted at once; only two banners were seen posted in South Park, and two new banners were produced in 2024 after the city changed specifications.
  • A correction was noted about a small banner at the cemetery; it was not one of the four-by-six grommet banners.
  • The committee discussed giving the park district a recommended banner size rather than an open-ended request.

Action Items

• A motion was made to print two additional 4-foot-by-6-foot banners with grommets for use at the swimming pool and one extra TBD location. Discussion followed about whether a blanket motion was needed if another location is identified and about the uncertain cost. The transcript does not record a final roll-call vote or an explicit vote tally on this motion.

Sub-Committee Reports

• Finance: The finance subcommittee reported an internal city budgeting issue involving SNAP and the general budget from the city council. Funds would need to be moved from what was described as a 'time bank' due to the budget process, but the money is available.
• Marketing and Transition: Brenda and Steffi are working through Brenda's proposal with Bridget to divide marketing tasks between the city and the committee during the off season. At least two new committee members will join, and the group discussed keeping marketing active during the transition. Amy indicated willingness to help with the poster design contest after an offline conversation.

Key Outcomes

• No rules-of-operation changes were approved; the draft changes continue to city attorney review.
• A banner purchase motion was made for two additional 4-foot-by-6-foot grommet banners, but the transcript does not show a recorded final decision.
• The committee will continue the marketing transition and resolve the internal budget transfer before the next season.