TONIGHT THERE’S A BATTLE BREWING IN PELLA OVER ITS POPULAR FARMER’S MARKET. SOME BUSINESS OWNERS ON THE TOWN SQUARE SAY THAT WEEKLY EVENT IS BLOCKING CUSTOMER PARKING. AND IT’S TAKING AWAY BUSINESS FROM BRICK AND MORTAR STORES, KCCI SENIOR REPORTER TODD MAGEL TELLS US HOW THEY’RE TRYING TO RESOLVE THE DISPUTE HAS ALWAYS BEEN KNOWN FOR ITS THOUSANDS OF BEAUTIFUL TULIPS. BUT NOW THERE’S AN ISSUE WITH THE FARMER’S MARKET HERE AND WHERE IT SHOULD BE LOCATED. THEY JUST REALLY ENJOY HAVING A GOOD TIME. AND THE FARMER’S MARKET LOVES BEING AN ASSET TO THAT GOOD TIME. REBECCA JONES IS PROUD OF THE PALACE FARMER’S MARKET. DOZENS OF VENDORS ATTRACT THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS ON THURSDAYS IN THE SPRING, SUMMER AND FALL, BUT A NEW LOCATION ON THE TOWN SQUARE IS CAUSING SOME PROBLEMS FOR STORE OWNERS. THE FACT IS THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM AND WE ARE TRYING TO NOT BE THE AGGRESSOR. WE JUST WANT TO BE A CONVERSATION STARTER, JERRY ROORDA OWNS THE IN-BUILT MEAT MARKET. HE SAYS HE AND SEVERAL OTHER STORE OWNERS NOTICED BUSINESS SLOWED DOWN LAST SUMMER WHEN THE FARMER’S MARKET TRIED A NEW LOCATION. HE SAYS CUSTOMER PARKING IS HARDER, AND THAT AFFECTS THE STORE’S BOTTOM LINE. HE CREATED A PETITION THAT SUGGESTED OTHER LOCATIONS FOR THE FARMER’S MARKET AND ASKED THE CITY COUNCIL TO DENY THE MARKET’S PERMIT. I’M NOT MINIMALIZING THEM AT ALL. I JUST WANT TO COEXIST WITH THEM SOMEWHERE THAT DOESN’T HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. BUT THE FARMER’S MARKET DIRECTOR SAYS MOVING OUT OF THE BUSY TOWN SQUARE WOULD BE A MISTAKE. UNFORTUNATELY, IF WE ARE OFF THE CITY SQUARE FOR SOMETIMES WE ARE UNDERSTANDABLE. OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND, BOTH SIDES HAVE BEEN CAUGHT IN A SOCIAL MEDIA SCUFFLE. WE’RE TAKING A LAMB BLASTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO THE POINT WHERE IT’S IT’S JUST RIDICULOUS. BUT BOTH SIDES SEEM TO BE OPEN TO WORKING OUT A DEAL. LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT’S GOING ON AND SEE IF WE CAN COME TO A REASONABLE COMPROMISE. IF ALL GOES AS PLANNED, THIS YEAR’S FIRST FARMER’S MARKET WILL DEBUT ON APRIL 25TH, BUT THAT COULD CHANGE IN YEARS TO COME. IN PELLA, TODD MAGEL KCCI EIGHT NEWS. IOWA’S NEWS LEADER AND THE PELLA CITY COUNC