Seattle Press on Line - Pike Place Management Tries to Scrap Operating Rules

Pike Place Management Tries to Scrap Operating Rules

By Tom Herriman

"Don't change the rules," reads Chue Neng Cha's sign as he protests rule changes.

Jul 01, 1998 -- When the Hmong farmers at the Pike Place Market saw that people were not buying vegetables, they switched to flowers, and many of them manage to support themselves and their families on flower sales.

Last week the Pike Place Market ruling body, the Preservation and Development Authority (PDA), approved a proposal that could result in more space going to "diversified" vegetable growers, but possibly less space to the Hmong farmers, and to other vendors selling just one food product like honey or nuts, or crafts and jewelry vendors.

Reaction of the "day stall tenants," the vendors in the long, partially covered arcade attached to the main market building, was quick and angry. They don?t want to be squeezed out for new farm vendors, and they feel the 18-day period given for public consideration and comment was too short.

The Hmong farmers say they were at a disadvantage because translators were not provided by the PDA for many of the meetings where the proposal was explained.
"We?re supposed to be a fresh produce market," Shelley Yapp, Pike Place Market Executive Director told The Seattle Press. "That?s what we?ve been since the market was started. We?re trying to attract more vegetable farmers, so we?ll have more consumers who come here to buy vegetables," Yapp said.

The PDA proposes to change the Hildt Agreement, a pact between the city and the PDA, which spells out the rules for operation of the market and the rights of the vendors, including a method for allocation of space. The agreement is up for renewal at the end of July, and any changes must be okayed by the city council. Either the city or the PDA can cancel the agreement by giving 30 days? notice, in this case by July 1.

Nick Licata, chair of the Culture, Arts and Parks Committee which has jurisdiction over the market, said there is too short a time between the PDA action June 24 and the July 1 deadline for the council to deliberate and act responsibly on these issues.
"The timing of PDA?s notice places us in the position of either accepting their proposed changes to the Hildt Agreement without comment or to reject them, and thereby possibly voiding the Hildt Agreement, which we do not wish to do," Licata said in a letter to the PDA June 24.

"Therefore I?ve asked the PDA council to agree to an extension of the Hildt Agreement for the city council to discuss these changes in an atmosphere free of the crisis imposed by the present time deadline."

The Daystall Tenants Association staged a one-day strike on Sunday, June 21, which was observed by over 90 percent of the food and crafts vendors. It was the first strike in the 90-year history of the market.

They opposed the changes, asked for further discussions with market management, and took their arguments to their customers.

In a crowded, raucous meeting June 24th, the PDA heard public testimony on the issue, and then voted 6-4 to go forward with the proposed changes.
Two advisory groups to the PDA, the Daystall Tenants and the Constituency, which includes consumers, neighbors and other interested people, strongly opposed the changes. A third group, the farmers, some of whom stand to benefit from the changes, supported the PDA.

Andrea Okonski, vice-chair of the Daystall Tenants Association, says the fight is not over. "The PDA tried to bully the tenants and now they?re trying to bully the City Council. But now that we?ve got their attention, we should use the opportunity to take a critical look at how well the PDA carries out its job."

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hah	Apr 27, 2006	kansas city	student
im HMONG!