Draft Minutes November 26, 2012 Work Session

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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—NOVEMBER 26, 2012 2 Park and Recreation Manager Olson stated that there were some concerns and opinions expressed regarding the fireworks that were provided at the 2012 Celebrating Arden Hills Event. Specifically, there was a complaint by a resident regarding fireworks debris that landed on the resident's property. She explained that the debris comes from the paper casing wrapped around the fireworks, but it is not considered a fire hazard. She noted that when fireworks are launched, the embers produced come down within a 350 foot `safety zone' which is where the fire trucks are parked and available if needed. She explained that the debris that travels farther is from the larger caliber fireworks (five inch) as they are shot higher. One option would be to use smaller caliber fireworks. She stated that she is working with Northwestern College to receive approval to launch fireworks from their island; which would be further from the park but over the lake. She stated that debris could potentially land on the college property as well as some of the lake residents' properties. Another option to consider is purchasing barges that would allow for the fireworks to be launched from out on the lake. Park and Recreation Manager Olson noted that the movie and concert in the park options would require significantly less staff time than organizing the Celebrating Arden Hills Event. She stated that the movie and concert events would likely bring in more Arden Hills residents and families. It was noted that a good portion of the patrons of the Celebrating Arden Hills Event were not Arden Hills residents. Mayor Grant inquired if there was a breakdown in price for outdoor movies. Park and Recreation Manager Olson stated that licensing was between $400 to $600, depending on the movie. The renting of the movie equipment would be around $600 for an audience of 350 people or less. Mayor Grant inquired as to what types of movies other cities are showing. Park and Recreation Manager Olson stated that family-friendly movies are chosen, such as Disney movies or movies that are rated PG or G. She noted that outdoor movie licensing allows for the advertisement of the movie title, which helps attendance. Mayor Grant inquired about the fireworks safety zone and the logistics of lighting off fireworks from Northwestern College's island. Park and Recreation Manager Olson stated that the 350 foot safety zone begins at the point where the fireworks are launched and it does not matter if they are launched at an angle or not. One suggestion given by the fireworks company is to launch the fireworks before the bridge to eliminate trying to get a big engine out to the island. Park and Recreation Manager Olson noted that another consideration of launching fireworks from Northwestern College's island is that it would be better to do it in the fall. She stated that the summer timeframe is more problematic because Northwestern College hosts numerous wedding events. Mayor Grant commented that the City of Roseville used to host a concert series, but he is not sure if they still do.