Commission Discusses Free Speech Legalities, Response to Budget cuts

MOSCOW – An uptick in complaints about “aggressive” behavior from activists along the Moscow Farmers Market “speakers wall” means city events staff will talk with the city’s legal department to better define the area or find other remedies, the Farmers Market Commission was told at its regular Tuesday meeting. 

“We are trying to operate in a legally appropriate way, but it has been more of a problem this year,” said Moscow Community Events Manager Amanda Argona, the city staff liaison to the commission, during her manager’s update to the commission.

The area is the north-facing wall of the New Saint Andrews College/Skattaboe Block building, near the playground equipment, where campaigners of causes hand out materials and engage with passersby. 

“We’ve also heard pushback this year concerning speakers’ First Amendment (free speech) rights,” Argona said. “Most are generally agreeable, but people will continue to push.”

Commissioner Collette DePhelps said some of the large images along the wall make shoppers uncomfortable. The market also received a complaint of a speaker following a shopper away from the wall. 

Commission Vice Chair Kassie Smith asked about delineating the area with chalk lines and/or traffic cones: “Once you leave the area, you must stop talking.”

“We want to be proactive and educational about how to use the speakers wall,” Argona said. “The alternative is to not have speakers there and have them outside the farmers market boundary.”

The commission also heard that its budget was decreased from its requested $1,500 to $500 for fiscal year 2026-27. All city commission budgets were cut, most by half or more.

This prompted discussion about whether the promotional items the market provides should come from the commission budget or from the city’s farmers market/events budget area: “The commission budget should be more for professional development so we can better oversee the broader policies and direction of the market,” DePhelps said. 

Commissioner Gerardo Alvarez asked about establishing a “Friends of the Market” volunteer group charged with raising money for promotional efforts and materials. 

The board will consider how to use next year’s $500 at a fall meeting. In the meantime, it agreed to use this year’s remaining $347 to purchase commemorative enamel pins to give to contributors to the 50^th anniversary calendar and activities and to other longtime market supporters.

Argona also updated the board on various vendor issues and asked for commissioner input and direction. Some aspects of the issues are addressed already in market policies, she noted. 

A vendor who moved unexpectedly would like to return for a “farewell” market appearance. This likely is fine, commissioners agreed, if the vendor is within 200 air miles of Moscow – as per market policies; otherwise, an exception would need to be considered.

Another vendor has significantly changed its menu midmarket, and asked to change more. Commissioners tended to agree that such changes should require that new food items go through the jury process.

Some vendors have requested a more defined market attendance and closure policy for bad weather, Argona said. She plans more discussion with community events staff about safety and the city’s responsibility to both vendors and shoppers, “because people will come if the market is open.”

Finally, she said she will work with city engineering to define more specifically the boundaries of the farmers market, so non-market vendors and entertainment buskers know where they can and cannot locate. 

In other business, the commission:

* Heard from Argona that the Aug. 8 farmers market will celebrate National Farmers Market Week with free food, shopping bags, musical chairs with prizes, ink stamps for bags and clothes, and temporary skin tattoos.

The final 50^th anniversary event will be the Golden Season festivities 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, at the Moscow Chamber of Commerce, 411 S. Main. 

Also, the Oct. 31 market will feature the annual costume contest, but it won’t be called a Halloween costume contest, since some families don’t celebrate that holiday. “We want to be inclusive,” Argona said.   

* Welcomed new member Kendra Chilbert, who is also the new executive director of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center. 

* Agreed to schedule a workshop to hear more from Commissioner DePhelps about what she learned at a farmers market conference she attended online some months back. Commissioner Smith asked for the workshop so the group could discuss and implement some of the ideas. 

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Moscow Farmers Market Commission will be Sept. 1.