Washington City Market, a program that aims to improve quality of live through healthful eating, received the city’s stamp of approval earlier this week.

The City Council, during its meeting Monday, unanimously approved a resolution of support for the program, which uses vacant lots throughout the city as community gardens. Produce from those gardens is made available to the public, according to Bill Booth, owner and operator of Washington City Market. The market is located at the intersection of West Sixth and North Market streets.

Booth said use of the vacant lots results in more than just the availability of fresh produce — it results in the city not having to maintain those vacant lots. Councilman Doug Mercer told Booth that when the lot at 523 N. Market St. stopped yielding produce this fall, “You cleaned it up.”

Booth told the council that eight community gardens and 25 private gardens were part of Washington City Market this past growing season. Those gardens provide healthful fruits and vegetables that help improve adult wellness, which leads to a healthier community, according to Booth.

In other business, the council authorized the mayor and city’s chief financial officer to sign documents related to a $50,000 grant for downtown redevelopment.

During the council’s Sept. 11 meeting, the council voted to accept the grant and allocate $40,000 for the city’s façade-grant program, with emphasis on the rear facades of buildings that can be seen from Stewart Parkway and the waterfront, and $10,000 for landscaping.

There had been previous discussion about buying and installing a sculpture (probably bronze) of George Washington seated on a park bench to the city’s downtown area. That proposal was quashed during the council’s Oct. 9 meeting.

At the council’s Aug. 14 meeting, Mayor Mac Hodges said he would like some of the grant funding to be used for the sculpture project, which would allow visitors and others to have photographic opportunities with one of the nation’s most historic figures At the Sept. 11 meeting, Hodges changed his tune about using part of the grant dollars on the project. Instead, he intimated, the project could be accomplished through a fundraising effort, possibly a public-private partnership.