Liability concerns stall farmer's market

A proposition to revive the farmer’s market in Franklin may be contingent on insurance issues.
Faith Broussard appeared at an earlier meeting of the St. Mary Parish Council asking for permission to hold the market on the courthouse square for better visibility than its former location at the Old City Market on Willow Street.
While council members were largely supportive of the idea, they asked legal counsel Eric Duplantis to research any issues that might be involved.
Duplantis reported Wednesday that he has not completed his analysis and asked for a bit more time.
He did say “there are potential liabilities if you do that and bring those vendors here. You’ll have to find a way to address that.”
Duplantis said he obtained agreements that other jurisdictional bodies have with similar markets, which mostly require proof of insurance and an indemnity agreement.
$1 million in liability insurance is fairly standard, and Duplantis said, “I’m not so sure that someone selling tomatoes is going to have a million dollars of insurance, but that’s not atypical of what they require.”
An indemnity agreement in the absence of liability insurance is “of no value,” Duplantis said.
“Right now I’m focused on protecting the parish from potential liability in the way other places have done.”
Chief Administration Officer Henry “Bo” Lagrange said another option may be a cooperative agreement with a public or private entity that meets the parish’s requirement in certain areas. Duplantis said that in some jurisdictions that has been done.
Councilman Dale Rogers said local citizens want the market, as indicated on social media.