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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-07-102 - Market Vendor Co-Operative - Option 6 ) R Community Services Report To: Date of Meeting: Submitted By: Prepared By: Ward(s) Involved: Date of Report: Report No.: Subject: Community Services Committee November 5, 2007 Keith Baulk, Director, Enterprise Division, 2393 Keith Baulk, Director, Enterprise Division, 2393 all October 24, 2007 CSD-07-102 MARKET VENDOR CO-OPERATIVE - OPTION #6 RECOMMENDATION: Committee direction is requested. BACKGROUND: Council has directed staff to investigate 5 options regarding the future of the Kitchener Market. The 5 options are as follows: 1. Utilize the unused space on the upper level as an "Arts & Culture Incubator" 2. Engage a private management firm to operate the Market. 3. Recruit a larger style grocer to fill the underutilized space on the upper level 4. Retest the original vision to have a number of smaller independent vendors fill the space. 5. Sell the Market. Staff have been working on these options with a goal to provide a significant summary report for the Community Services Committee meeting in December. During work on the private management option, input was sought from a number of key stakeholder representatives. This included representatives from the current vendor group. The input was utilized to develop the Terms of Reference and Deliverables for the private management Request For Proposal (RFP). During the process, the lower level vendor representative sought direct input from the other lower level vendors. It was during these sessions that the group determined they would be interested in forming a vendor co-operative to consider operating the Market. CSD-07-102 - 2 - REPORT: A delegation representing the lower level vendor group will make a presentation to Committee. They will ask to be considered as a 6th option in the process to move the Market forward. Staff have no concerns with Committee approving the request provided the vendor co-op can adhere to the timelines by submitting a formal proposal for the overall comparative analysis. Any proposal would have to be submitted no later than November 23, 2007 at 4:30 pm. Staff have provided the vendor representative with the key deliverables and expectations. These are the same as the Private Sector RFP. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: None related to this report CONCLUSION: Committee direction is requested relative to considering a Vendor Co-operative as a 6th option for moving the Market forward. Keith Baulk Director Enterprise Division, Community Services AP