City approves car show special-event permit after insurance, signage concerns resolved

The City of St. Paul Park City Council on May 5, 2025, removed a car show special-event permit from the table and approved the permit after organizers and local nonprofit partners addressed gaps in insurance and temporary traffic-control equipment.

The mayor said some permit paperwork had been incomplete when the item was last before the council, and that the American Legion had lost its prior insurance and scrambled to secure new coverage. “The Legion is still gonna cover the insurance liability for the car show,” the mayor told the council. The Lions Club also agreed to contribute; the mayor recommended a $500 special-event permit fee for use of city right-of-way and services.

Public Works Supervisor Tony Brinkman had raised questions about parking signs and the type of barricades needed for road closures. The mayor explained the city does not currently have the proper permanent signage to enforce its 24-hour parking rule ahead of the event, so police would have limited ability to enforce that restriction this year. The council agreed to proceed while public works confirmed availability of larger, weighted barricades (the city’s plastic barriers can be filled with water or sand) and to address longer-term signage needs for future events.

Council members voted to approve the permit after the discussion. The mayor noted the event was scheduled to start on May 7 and that the Lions Club and American Legion were sponsoring and covering liability for the event this year.

The council did not record any amendments to the permit conditions in the meeting; it approved the permit by voice vote after the mayor called for the motion and the council answered “aye.”