Minutes - Council Work Session - 05/26/2020

Home

intersections that require blockage, the more resources that are needed. He stated that Anoka requires several other agencies to provide assistance for the long route of the Halloween parade. He noted that Ramsey typically does not receive outside resources for the Happy Days event outside of the Ramsey department and its community service officers. He noted that Anoka has provided a few officers in recent years in return for the cooperative efforts of their Halloween parade. Councilmember Heinrich stated that she is not comfortable making the call on what should stay or go until they are closer to the deadline. She acknowledged that may not be the answer staff wants to hear, but things are rapidly changing. She stated that she has noticed social distancing within the community, although there are examples of the opposite as well. She noted that the majority of people are following the guideline to protect themselves and others. Fire Chief Kohner joined the meeting via telephone to provide input. He stated that there is a possibility to hold some limited events. He stated that because of the pandemic it would be quite different than the typical Happy Days event, which centers around gathering. He stated that some events could probably be broken down to hold in a limited capacity with social distancing. He commented that it would be best to follow the State social distancing guidelines and be conscious of that. Councilmember Kuzma stated that one concern he has is with the contracts. He asked the liability that there would be to keep the Happy Days name and limiting the events. City Administrator Ulrich stated that he would not recommend signing additional contracts at this time. Community and Events Coordinator Thorstad stated that a contract was signed for a band and the 5k vendor. Councilmember Specht stated that the decision will most likely be financial in terms of sponsorships. He stated that if some events could occur in limited capacity with sponsorship, he would like to see resilient Ramsey try to move forward with the Happy Days name. He commented that residents can choose whether or not to participate based on their own risk factors. Councilmember Heinrich asked if staff could bring back more details on what a modified event would look like. She stated that perhaps staff could reach out to potential sponsors to determine the interest in sponsoring modified events as well, as that will help guide the decision. City Administrator Ulrich stated that staff will bring back a severely modified scope with limited and controlled events. He stated that staff will not enter any additional contractual obligations and the decision could be made at a later time on whether the name would be used. Councilmember Kuzma asked for details on the deposits that were paid on the two contracts. Communications and Events Coordinator Thorstad stated that $1,000 has been paid on down payment for the concert vendor and a total of $5,000 is owed. She stated that she has not yet City Council Work Session / May 26, 2020 Page 4 of 7