Wendell Honeycutt, a member of the Glasgow City Council, participates in a committee meeting on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2021, inside Lera B. Mitchell Clubhouse.
(WCLU NEWS FILE PHOTO)
Angela Briggs and Brennan Crain contributed to this report.
GLASGOW — The local farmers market could see some money soon.
The Glasgow City Council voted Monday evening in favor of applying for a federal grant through the Economic Development Initiative and the Department for Housing and Urban Development.
The grant, if awarded, would provide nearly $1.5 million to the downtown Bounty of the Barrens Farmers Market hosted by Sustainable Glasgow. The grant would provide access for Sustainable Glasgow to fund a portion of its farmers market, and possibly a portion of a proposed downtown park, which includes a farmers market pavilion.
Discussion around the park has been divisive. Some councilmembers, community members and others have chimed in on the conversation. One councilperson said he felt the discussions had become contentious, especially online.
Wendell Honeycutt, the city’s finance committee chairperson, said he had spoken with the city’s grant writer, April Russell, about gathering information for the grant.
“When April went to them and asked for information to do this grant, they were not forthcoming with the information,” Honeycutt said. “And I ended up providing it to her.”
Honeycutt said he “assumed” Wes Simpson, the spearhead and advocate for a downtown park, had refused to provide her information. Honeycutt’s assumption allegedly was false.
All the information needed for the project had not been provided to Russell at a point in time when Honeycutt asked about it. The information he later provided to Russell dealt with another aspect of the park project, she said.
Sources familiar with the farmers market and downtown park project said Russell worked closely to write the grant with Brandi Button of Sustainable Glasgow. Simpson deferred all of the farmers market-specific questions to Button, who oversees the current market.
The pavilion and park has also been discussed online and in public meetings several times.
The grant funds are part of Congress’ reauthorization of the use of earmarks, which are funds directed toward certain entities. This grant provides federal dollars to local projects.
Russell said the grant would fund certain aspects of a farmers market structure such as ventilation, grading work, sewage and utilities. City officials would not confirm whether the funds are sought to fund the downtown project specifically.
“The Glasgow city could build a farmers market with this grant by theirself,” said Harold Armstrong, Glasgow’s mayor. “It just has to go to the farmers market. That’s what we’ve requested.”
Terry Bunnell, another councilperson, was the only vote against authorizing the city to apply for the grant. He cited concerns with the West Main Street location of the proposed park and farmers market pavilion.
“I think the best usage of the location would be for some type of commercial usage,” Bunnell said. “And that the city gets the money paid for it, back out of that, and used for other needs across the city.”
The farmers market is one aspect of the entire proposed park project. Other aspects include an event venue and outdoor recreation area.
Supporters of the park want to gain the city’s financial support, which would add to private investments, too. Members of a committee overseeing the project have said those private investments would exceed $1 million.
