By Chris OrletRecord Managing EditorThe Warren County Farmers and Artisans Market (WCFAM) Board is expected to vote Feb. 19 on whether to take over management of the Warrenton Farmers Market.If approved, the market will be back in the hands of the board that ran the farmers market at the Warren County Fairgrounds until 2009.WCFAM Market Master John Clare said his board’s main concern with overseeing the Warrenton market has been whether the city would impose stricter requirements or codes, including the imposition of fees.Last month the WCFAM and the city worked out the few remaining details, including a change to the city’s code that formerly required the market manager to provide a vendor list to the city 24 hours in advance of the market.Clare objected that the code would not allow for late vendors wanting to sell their goods. The Warrenton Board of Aldermen changed the requirement to 24 hours following an event.The Warren County Farmers and Artisans Market left Warrenton for Wright City four years ago in part due to a dispute over the city of Warrenton’s application of a state sales tax law.Since then the city has moved the market near downtown and turned over its operation to its recreation department.However, last fall Warrenton Recreation Director Dottie Phillips suggested the city dissolve the market or find another manager, saying the recreation department was probably not the right entity to run the market.According to Phillips, the Warrenton market last season had a total of 20 vendors, but only an average of eight vendors would participate during the Saturday market. The recreation department tracked a total of 600 visitors all year.Even though the recreation department devoted eight administrative hours a week to the market, Phillips said the market was still not flourishing and her limited staff could not continue exerting a full day of work into a program that impacts few people. Phillips said her department didn’t have the resources to make the market successful during the busiest season for parks and recreation in Warrenton.Clare noted that the WCFAM has a proven track record in Wright City with 40 vendors and a growing membership going into this year.The WCFAM is a nonprofit organization. Vendors pay a $30 annual membership fee. The market is located at Diekroeger Park in Wright City and is open every Thursday 3:30-6:30 p.m. May through October.The WCFAM sells only local produce, meat, honey, baked goods, eggs, fine art and crafts such as jewelry, woodworking, glass, quilting and small livestock, all raised or made by the vendor. Sellers must have grown or made the products or participate in the production of the products they are selling.“You’ll never find at one of our markets a banana or a pineapple,” said Clare. “They’re not locally grown.”The officers reserve the right to inspect any farm and make sure the produce or meat is local.Wright City Farmers Market to vote on taking over Warrenton market