Pasco Specialty Kitchen and Farmers Market handed over to new managers. What will change?

The Pasco Specialty Kitchen and seasonal Farmers Market will be under new management come June 1.

The city announced Wednesday that it would take the reins of the two longtime Pasco endeavors starting the same day as the departure of the executive director of the Downtown Pasco Development Authority’s (DPDA).

City Manager Adam Lincoln told the Tri-City Herald that the move will free up resources the development authority can use to invest into other areas of economic development and support for local businesses.

“I think it builds capacity for what a PDA can actually do. They can own property. They can sell property. They have a bigger mission,” he said. “They haven’t had that capacity in a while to step into those roles. I think this will alleviate some of that staff oversight that they’ve had to take on over time... This is a good assist for them.”

Lincoln said it would also have been impossible for the DPDA’s board of directors to take up managerial responsibilities. The 501c3 nonprofit did not have someone hired to replace Executive Director Jerry Martinez.

Service at both the Farmers Market and Specialty Kitchen will continue uninterrupted.

The market runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May through October at Peanuts Park. It’s known for its fresh produce, artisan goods and as a social place.

And the commercial incubator kitchen — near the market at 110 South 4th Ave., and used by local businesses such as the Pasco Hamburger Company and 2023 Pasco Taco Crawl winners Powell’s Inferno — operates year round.

Jesse Rice, the city’s IT director, who also is filling in as interim parks and recreation director, will directly manage the kitchen and farmers market.

Lincoln said the cost to take on management will be minimal to the city, but they’re currently examining the needs of those two operations and may make some investments soon.

Downtown Pasco Development

The DPDA is an independent public development authority and nonprofit with a mission to support economic revitalization around the downtown area.

The hand off of the Specialty Kitchen and Farmers Market marks the first step in re-imagining the role of the DPDA to support downtown businesses.

Without those two entities, the DPDA is now tasked with managing a few events, such as the Fiery Foods Festival and Pasco Cinco de Mayo festival.

But the city hopes to also eventually split the DPDA into two unique entities that will operate separately as a public development authority and Main Street Program nonprofit.

And the city of Pasco is paying a consultant $50,000 this year to review the DPDA’s organizational structure and evaluate the goals and future direction of the organization. That report is expected to be out in June.

The city is a major financial supporter of the DPDA and has given it roughly $120,000 so far this year.

“DPDA has always been a robust supporter of small businesses and the community in downtown Pasco,” board Chairwoman Kylie Grimes said in a prepared statement. “We are positive that the city of Pasco is well-equipped to manage these community treasures, allowing both for the DPDA board and city council to strategize a robust plan for the future.”

The city has the expertise, management capacity and financial resources to make this work.

While the move is seen as an optimistic stride for the city and the DPDA, the future of the organization still remains opaque.

The organization has lost four directors since 2016, including Michael Goines, who admitted to embezzling at least $90,000 from the organization and was sentenced for the crime.

Martinez stepped up to the plate during a relatively turbulent time at the DPDA and served for about a year.

The 2022 Cinco de Mayo Festival appeared to be a success, but word emerged that behind the scenes spending had ballooned because of mismanagement. Among the expenses, DPDA paid more than $42,000 to rebook bands that had been erroneously canceled.

The event was ultimately a financial dud. But the organization came back this year with a smaller, more family-focused Cinco de Mayo event.

There also have been recent questions about a lack in investment at the Pasco Specialty Kitchen.

The kitchen has lost money every year since 2019, including $70,000 in 2022, according to the report by former manager Damien Davis. The facility was understaffed, undertrained and underfunded, he said.

When a report was released, Martinez said they were working to turn around issues at the kitchen. But soon after, he announced plans to leave the group.