Monona committee approves suite of park facility-use agreements, adjusts pool hours and event rules

The City of Monona Finance and Personnel Committee on March 17 approved several annual facility-use agreements for park users, added limited beer-sales authorization for parks-run events and adjusted weeknight pool hours.

The agreements include a one-year facility-use extension for the Monona Farmers Market at Houska Park, a renewed vending agreement with Papa’s Barbecue, a revised multi-user agreement with the Monona Swim & Dive Club and a detailed first written agreement with the Monona Community Festival for Winnequah Park. The committee also approved resolution 25-3-2791 allowing Parks and Recreation staff to authorize beer sales at selected 2025 events, including seasonal beer gardens at Schluter Beach.

Why it matters: the approvals formalize longstanding practices (the Farmers Market had operated under a multi-year or handshake arrangement), set fee and scheduling expectations for vendors and user groups and add clearer event requirements for insurance, security and cleanup tied to tourism grant conditions.

Committee discussion and key details Jake, Parks Department staff, presented the agreements and described the pool-schedule change: "So the main change to the pool schedule is we're adding additional swim lesson times and... swim and dive practice times in the evening and cutting into our evening swim Monday through Thursday by half an hour." Committee members confirmed the revised open pool hours on weeknights will be 7:30 to 9 p.m., rather than 7 to 9 p.m.

On the Monona Farmers Market, committee members agreed to a one-year extension with no fee assessed to the volunteer-run market; city staff said the market’s capacity for additional revenue or expanded booth counts is limited by parking and existing booth maximums.

The Papa’s Barbecue vending agreement was renewed for one year with an increased monthly rental fee capped at $625 per month; committee members noted the vendor’s regular presence and assistance at special events and confirmed that Papa’s is responsible for on-site cleanup.

The Monona Community Festival agreement drew the most discussion. Jake said the draft is “pretty detailed in its nature and scope” and lists responsibilities and estimated staff time for public works, police and fire. Committee members asked staff to remove a specific bullet that would have required the festival to vacate a storage area at the Public Works garage by a fixed deadline; staff recommended removing that bullet from the one-year agreement to give the festival additional time to secure alternate storage. Neil, city staff, confirmed the packet includes specific insurance and security-plan requirements and that festival applicants must obtain police approval of traffic and security plans. Committee members also discussed that the festival has applied for a tourism grant and that the festival agreement will include language requiring compliance with any tourism-grant conditions.

On fees for festival services, committee members noted the packet’s Section 8 lists a specific estimated fee for city services related to the festival; staff confirmed that police and fire charges in the packet are estimates and said actual charges would be reconciled to actual overtime/hours after the event. Committee members debated leaving the packet number as a fixed amount for the festival’s first year to give organizers budget certainty; staff said past years have sometimes resulted in lower actual charges.

Votes at a glance - Resolution 25-3-2787 — Facility-use agreement: Monona Swim & Dive Club — Motion to approve; voice vote — approved. - Resolution 25-3-2788 — Facility-use agreement: Monona Farmers Market (Houska Park) — Motion to approve; voice vote — approved. One-year extension; no market fee in the agreement. - Resolution 25-3-2789 — Facility-use agreement: Papa’s Barbecue (vending at Houska Park) — Motion to approve; voice vote — approved; monthly rental fee increased, capped at $625/month. - Resolution 25-3-2790 — Facility-use agreement: Monona Community Festival (Winnequah Park) — Motion to approve; voice vote — approved. Agreement changes include clearer insurance, security and cleanup requirements, and staff removed a storage-deadline bullet to allow more time for organizers to find alternate storage; packet Section 8 lists an estimated fee for city services (amount appears in the packet; amount not specified in the meeting transcript). - Resolution 25-3-2791 — Authorizing beer sales by Parks and Recreation staff at selected 2025 events — Motion to approve; voice vote — approved. Committee described a revised schedule of beer gardens (about seven or eight at Schluter Beach and additional events at Grand Crossing Park).

What the agreements require Staff told the committee the festival agreement will require: proof of insurance; an approved security plan and traffic-control plan from the police department; designated on-site contacts; timely submission of required permits; and cleanup beginning immediately the day after the event. Police and fire charges in the packet were described as estimates subject to reconciliation to actual hours.

Next steps The committee forwarded the resolutions to the full City Council. Staff will work with festival organizers and the Parks Board to finalize permit dates and to identify storage alternatives before next year’s agreement review.

Ending note Committee members repeatedly emphasized that the festival agreement’s one-year term gives the city and organizers time to document responsibilities and search for a longer-term storage solution without forcing an immediate relocation.