NORTHWEST TALLAHASSEE, FL — A Tallahassee flea market is in a dispute with the city after organizers say they received a 12-hour notice to comply with a code enforcement order to shut down or face a $250-a-day fine.
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Organizers with the Tallahassee Flea Market Exchange say the confusion began after the city initially issued a building violation, then later changed it to a tent permit violation.
The market says vendors currently operate with 10-by-10 tents — 100 square feet — which organizers believed fell below the city's temporary tent permit threshold of 200 to 900 square feet, according to the City of Tallahassee's temporary use tent tarp canopy permit application.
Organizers also claim they were previously told a permit was not required.
"With regards to the requirements of what is needed to satisfy a tent tarp canopy permit, and we don't fit that, so they told us that we didn't need it, long as we're doing this, that, and then, third, you know, we don't need this, we're not doing anything, no more than what Southwood is doing, Downtown Market is doing, and even Thomasville Road is doing," Eugene Larry, Tallahassee Flea Market Exchange President said.
The situation has drawn attention from Tallahassee City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow, who said in a Facebook post that he visited the market and believed concerns about the setup were "fabricated or overblown,."
"Ask the vendors for yourself, they were so happy to see somebody with that type of leadership and courage to come out and to be concerned with their opportunity to provide for their families and aware for the overall greater aspect of Tallahassee," Larry said
.For vendors, the uncertainty is raising concerns about their future.
Erin Wise, What The Fluff Cotton Candy Co, owner says her business depends on the flea market as her primary source of income and that a closure would have a major impact on her livelihood.
"It would devastate me. I mean, at this point, yeah, I want to be an everyday, you know, every weekend vendor, this is my only source of income at the moment, and I love what I do. I mean, I love meeting the new people that come through, and, but, yeah, it would, it would probably set me way back," Wise said.
Other vendors echoed those concerns, describing the market as a key space for small businesses to build customers.
"So for a lot of us, this was a way for us to supplement our income. For a lot of the vendors, this was their only income. So, definitely appreciate, you know, what they've done here, given us the place to, you know, market our businesses, supporting small business owners," Mario Payne, local business owner said.
We are working to get more details from the city on the citations and flea market setup.
Larry says, with city approval, the Tallahassee Flea Market Exchange had previously been operating without a tent permit, but now that the city has requested one, organizers say they have submitted the paperwork.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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