Winneshiek Farmer's Market will have higher lease costs in 2019

An opinion by Decorah City Attorney John Anderson will lead to slightly higher lease fees for the Winneshiek Farmers Market in 2019.  Anderson says rulings have stated that it is not appropriate for a municipality to lease its property to a second party for less than fair market value.

That has led city officials to try to determine what the fair market value of the Lower Co-op parking lot the Farmers Market leases twice a week during the summer.  They used the payments they make for use of property off West Main Street as a parking lot.  The $500 a month payments represent a 30-day cost, while the Farmers Market is using the Lower Co-op parking lot eight times a month, so city officials suggested a lease of from $100 a month to $200 per month.  City council members have approved a $128 per month fee for 2019, based on a fee of $16/day.  The agreement is for one year only, but city council members and Farmer's Market leaders say they'd both be agreeable to having a longer term agreement in future years.