Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Event topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Minnetrista sets Nov. 18 tree-lighting trial, will track staff time and costs before deciding future
Summary
Council members agreed to hold the 2026 holiday tree lighting on Wednesday, Nov. 18 and to track staff time and expenses this year to evaluate whether the event should continue, after some members questioned its cost and turnout.
The Minnetrista council debated whether to continue the holiday tree-lighting event and settled on a compromise at the March 2 work session: hold the event once more on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2026, schedule it earlier in the evening to encourage attendance, and have staff track in-kind and direct costs so the council can evaluate its value before committing to future years.
A council member urged reconsideration of the event's necessity given staff time and the cost to partner organizations; another council member proposed doing the event one more time and measuring attendance and staff costs, which the mayor supported as a community outreach opportunity. City staff (Public Works and the city administrator) were asked to record hours and expenses for a post-event evaluation and to report a recommendation to the council in the following year.
The council also discussed whether to solicit a community partner (the West Tonka Lions or another organization) to take over future events if attendance remains low. No formal budget appropriation was made at the session; the council resolved only to hold the Nov. 18 event and to gather data for a later decision.
