Vendors and officials in the historic district of Capitol Hill are in disagreement over whether or nor less is truly more in governing the Eastern Market, located at 7th and C Streets in Washington, D.C. A bill supported by Ward 6 Councilman Tommy Wells has been submitted for consideration that would establish an 11-member board overseeing market finances and operations, causing many vendors to respond with mixed feelings. Among members of the Eastern Market Tenants Council, the idea of a financial trust is supported but the selection of board members is of great concern.
While prior legislation defining market management was responsible for placing the market under the jurisdiction of the Department of Real Estate Services, the new plan would be modeled after similar boards already governing markets elsewhere. Of the 11 members, five are to be chosen by Wells and three are designated vendor representatives. “I championed the three spots they have. I appreciate that they want more,” Wells told the Washington Examiner last week. Regarding vendors’ input, he finds that “having three votes on an 11-member board is a lot of influence.”
The main difference between the proposed board and those already in existence is that many existing boards are comprised of community volunteers, such as the Central Market board in Lancaster, PA, whereas the members of the proposed board would be chosen in part by local officials. The Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee, currently advising the city on market operations, is in favor of forming a board managed by the city because it protects the financial interests of the market. Mayor Vincent Gray, however, is reported to be against the proposal.
Wells said in a hearing last week that “the main role of the city is not to run a market, and currently the only way to get out of doing that is going back to the way it was, and that’s unacceptable. It does not protect the asset.”