Proposed Galt Market changes worry vendors

Vendors like William Pak aren't looking forward to some possible changes at the Galt Market.

Pak, who drives from San Jose each week to sell costume jewelry, belts and other wholesale items, is worried he'll be relocated from his longtime spot in the middle of the market.

City of Galt staff, who administer the market, proposed adding a produce aisle along rows G and H, right where Pak and others have operated for years.

Revenue at the market has fallen in recent months. City officials hope the new produce aisle, along with keeping the market open later in the afternoon and reducing prices for Tuesday vendors, will turn sales around.

Pak and others said they don't want the changes to come at their expense.

"If we move, there's (going to be) a lot of confusion about business," he told the Galt City Council at its meeting Tuesday night.

"Nobody likes to move," Pak added, after conducting a quick poll of the more than 20 market vendors in the audience. "They're going to lose customers. That's why."

In other action

The Galt City Council plans to send a message to Elk Grove.

It will go something like this: Keep out of the Consumes River flood plains.

In a sometimes heated discussion, council members and local residents spoke about Elk Grove's sweeping southern expansion plans.

The city plans to send a formal letter to the Sacramento Local Area Formation Commission, the regional group that decides on boundary changes, opposing expansion into the flood plains.

Elk Grove hopes to add 10,536 acres to its sphere of influence, a precursor to annexation.

That would bring the sprawling city's sphere to Eschinger Road to the south, and to the Cosumnes River to the southeast.

"Elk Grove should not, in any way, enter the flood plain," Galt City Councilman Tim Raboy said, noting such a move could threaten Galt's future water supply.

Sacramento County is also odds with the expansion. It has proposed Elk Grove pull back its plans, at least away from the river.

— News-Sentinel staff

The council was still discussing the proposed changes as of the News-Sentinel's deadline.

Many vendors remained at the meeting past 10 p.m. Some sat slumped in their chairs or yawned frequently, but stared straight ahead listening to the council.

They had been up since before dawn that morning, when they arrived to set up for Tuesday's market.

Armando Solis, the city's market manager, explained the G and H rows were chosen for a produce aisle because they have the fewest vendors who would be displaced.

"We looked at all options," he said.

City officials said they're doing all they can to boost the market. They've said the tough economy, high gas prices and competition from Internet sales has hit the market hard.

Overall, the number of market vendors is down about 15 percent on Tuesdays, while it's down about 5 percent on Wednesdays, Solis said.

To attract more vendors on Tuesday, the city proposed fee reductions. Spaces would drop from $45 per day to $43. Spaces booked for an entire month would drop from $40 to $35.

Fees would increase for spaces on Wednesdays, from $30 to $38 for a daily booking and from $27 to $30 if the space is booked for an entire month.

City officials met twice earlier this summer with vendors to discuss the possible changes.

Last month, the city's Parks and Recreation Committee voted unanimously to support the proposals.

The proposed time change would keep the market open an hour-and-a-half longer, to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Officials hope that will allow more parents and students to shop at the market.

Contact reporter Chris Nichols at chrisn@lodinews.com.

Reader Feedback

newsuscrib wrote on Aug 6, 2008 11:48 PM:

" PAL has hit the nail on the head. We went out to the Galt Market a week ago Tuesday and were just shocked by the number of the empty stalls. Oh but I think I remember reading that the Market lost was it 3 Million last year?? Could be wrong however, I do remember not too long ago there was a two year waiting list to get a stall in the market. I belive the vendors are just getting tired of being hassled by the things the City Council are coming up with and they can go other places and not have to deal with all of this. Now they want to put produce into places that have been occupied by long time vendors, oh please give it rest! And hey, let's not throw more money into the market like the shade structures if the market is dying out like it appears to us. "

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PAL wrote on Aug 6, 2008 12:23 PM:

" All I know is something needs to be done with the Galt Market. It was an embarrasement to tell my co-workers and friends it a great place to shop and then turns out about 30% of it was empty with no vendors. Lower the vendor rate at least $5.00. Move the produce to the middle of the market. A lot of people come for the produce and do not shop around for anything else. This will force them to go into the market and may actually see something they didnt know they needed.
Extend hours to early evening time til 7pm "

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