New Ulm councilors review draft right-of-way event policy to standardize street closures and organizer responsibilities

New Ulm city staff on Tuesday presented a draft right-of-way and public-space events policy that would formalize how streets, parks and other city-owned property may be used for public events, including per-event permits, insurance requirements, minimum application lead times and possible fees.

City Manager Dalton opened the discussion, saying, “This is something that we’re putting together as we get more and more requests to close streets for events. I think it’s slightly getting out of hand.” Joe (staff) told the council the draft borrows elements from Mankato and is written to cover all public spaces; “it really restricts usage of the roadways to events that are deemed community events by the city council,” he said.

Why it matters: Councilors and staff said the proposed policy aims to reduce ad-hoc closures that can affect neighboring businesses, make responsibilities—cleanup, safety plans, notification and insurance—clearer, and recoup city costs tied to barricades and staffing. Several councilors voiced support for formalizing requirements so organizers supply consolidated documentation (liquor-extension requests, insurance certificates, cleanup plans) in a single packet well ahead of events.

Key provisions discussed - Permit and application consolidation: Staff described replacing scattered right-of-way closures, liquor-license extensions and ad-hoc requests with a single event application, with a minimum 30-day lead time and the option for organizers to apply earlier in the year for recurring events. Councilors asked whether seasonal series (for example, farmers markets or weekly roll-ins) could be handled as multi-event packages rather than a separate fee every week. - Fees: Staff proposed charging a fee intended to cover city costs for staff time and barricade deployment. Councilors discussed possible levels (examples mentioned during the meeting ranged from $100–$150 for single events), but no fee was adopted; staff said fees will be set to cover costs, not to generate profit. - Insurance and liability: The draft would require event-specific liability insurance naming the city and other required additional insureds. Staff said insurance must be provided per event and cannot simply be filed once for the year. - Designation of "community events": The draft would limit roadway closures to events the council designates as community events; staff used the existing annual list (Bavarian Blast, Bachfest, Brown County Fair, Foshing, Hermanfest, Myfest and Oktoberfest) as a placeholder and asked council direction on whether other recurring events should be included automatically or added case-by-case. - Safety, access and fire lanes: The draft reiterates a 20-foot unobstructed fire lane standard in alleys. The fire chief cautioned that access to building rears must be maintained: “If they’re blocking off the front, as long as we can get into the back of these buildings, we’re probably gonna be okay.” Councilors raised that strict 20-foot language could effectively prohibit closing alleys and asked staff to refine wording. - Traffic-control equipment and state highways: Staff warned some barricades currently used for turn-lane closures on the state highway are not compliant with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices; purchasing compliant devices would be expensive, and the state has previously raised concerns. - Organizer responsibilities: The draft places notification of affected businesses and the public, on-site cleanup obligations and coordination of participating businesses with the event organizer. Chamber representatives said the chamber is willing to assemble required materials for its events and collect insurance certificates from participating bars.

Council response and next steps Councilors generally expressed support for formalizing the process while asking staff to refine specific provisions (alleys/fire-lane language, multi-event fee structures, clear definitions for community events and notification scope). Several councilors urged staff to review the draft with the city attorney before returning it to council. City Manager Dalton and staff will work with the city attorney to produce a formal ordinance or policy to return for future council consideration.

Notes: There was no formal vote on the draft during the Sept. 16 work session; council discussion produced direction to staff to continue drafting and consult the city attorney.