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Public Safety Commission presses for stronger safety measures, route change discussion ahead of St. Patrick’s Day parade
Summary
At its March 4 meeting the Crosslake Public Safety Commission reviewed parade safety plans, heard that EMS will be staged at the north and south ends of town and at the EOC, and discussed reversing the parade route to reduce congestion; the commission will add a post-parade agenda item for further review.
The Crosslake Public Safety Commission on March 4 reviewed public-safety preparations for the town’s St. Patrick’s Day parade and discussed whether the council should reverse the route to ease traffic and staging problems. Chief Chip Lohmiller said plans are pending confirmation from neighboring agencies and mutual aid and that EMS will be staged at the north and south ends of town and at the emergency operations center, with the EMS command trailer parked near Zorbaz.
Why it matters: commissioners flagged traffic and staging risks that they say could create public-safety hazards if not addressed. Chief Lohmiller reported mounted patrol will not assist this year and two sheriff deputies will be staged at the north and south ends of town; Jake Maier said there will be close to 20 officers present and suggested recruiting CLC law enforcement students for future support. The parade is capped at 100 floats, the commission noted.
Discussion focused on whether reversing the parade route (ending in Town Square rather than starting there) would reduce congestion on County Road 66, where Chip Lohmiller said traffic “gets jammed up for an hour and a half” after the parade. Commissioners also raised concerns about lineup congestion on County Road 3 when vehicles stage to begin the parade. Robin Sylvester urged setting earlier application deadlines for parade organizers; Rob Kniefel said the City Council should take control of the event because the city would be liable if an incident occurs.
The commission directed that a post‑parade item be added to the next meeting’s old-business agenda so members can review outcomes and consider formal recommendations to the council.
The commission did not adopt a formal change to the route at this meeting; further coordination with the parade committee and neighboring agencies remains pending.
