First we now have 292 signatures, sure would be nice to get to 300+.  Ask people if they have had an opportunity to read the petition, etc.

It has also been shared by a source that not all emails sent to secretary@hollywoodfarmersmarket.org have been received.  Thus if you sent an email/letter of concern to that address I encourage you to resend it to abby.chipley@gmail.com

And FINALLY we have official response from the board. 

Here's the email I received this week which is addressed to all of us:

To:  Anne Meixner and fellow petitioners

On behalf of the Hollywood Farmers Market board, I want to express our gratitude for your participation in our listening session on October 16 and for taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns. The personal stories and insights you offered underscore the commitment so many of you have to the market, and they will be useful in our planning for the future of this cherished space.

The board members who attended have reviewed and reflected on your comments and suggestions. We understand that there have been concerns about the market's direction, including:

Confusion about roles: Uncertainty regarding the specific responsibilities of the Executive Director, staff, and the board.
Limited vendor-staff interaction: A desire for increased opportunities for vendors to connect with market staff.
Vendor representation: A feeling that vendor voices are not being heard.
A key theme that stood out was the need for improved communication between the market and our stakeholders. We currently connect with customers and vendors through weekly emails, but we recognize that vendors need more from us, especially during a leadership transition. 

As we move forward, please know that we hear your concerns. We are actively working in concert with the Executive Director to bolster communications, share timely information about decisions that affect our vendors and community, clarify policies, and improve operations on market days. 

The HFM board and staff are committed to preserving and strengthening the market that we all care deeply for. Thank you again for your dedication to the Hollywood Farmers Market and for sharing your perspectives with us.

Best regards,

Bruce Richard

Hollywood Farmers Market Board  

----- Below is my response -----

Bruce and Kyrsten,

Appreciate this response after listening session that only a handful of people could attend.*  While not the professionally mediated discussion requested it was a good faith start of such a discussion. Hopefully you, Kyrsten and the rest of the board have had a chance to review the 30+ emails that various people have sent.  My understanding is that there has been some issues with receiving this emails (which had been sent to secretary@hollywoodfarmersmarket.org).  Hence, I'll ask people to send them again to Abigail, board secretary, to her personal email address.

Your response highlights the need for improved vendor communication which makes sense given multiple comments made at that meeting. However, it does not appropriately highlight the broken trust between vendors and HFM board and vendors and market staff.  As stated in the petition this has developed over 5 years.  It was the recent banishment of Nourishment, a long time and very popular food vendor, that precipitated the petition.  While for the listening session that topic was off the table, the board and executive director needs to address that topic.  

An example of broken trust-- A number of vendors have expressed concern that a causal comment may generate a warning.  That's not a healthy environment to conduct business in which the vendors lie at the heart of the market both financially and operationally. 

Trust needs to be earned. Based upon recent events I have genuine concerns that the gravity of the broken trust is not fully understood by either the board or market staff.  I look forward to witnessing the increased communication with vendors, though as a volunteer I won't be able to assess it directly.  

*It was scheduled on short notice and only after I shared that we would come to the board meeting due to the LACK of response to the petition and emails sent by others.

Warmest Regards,

Anne M

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Its movement in the right diection,  though there are miles to go before we sleep.