2011-09-14 CC Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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OEMS • TO: Honorable Mayor & City Council Members FROM: Kim Stephan DATE: September 8, 2011 SUBJECT: Scheduling the Festival of the Lakes 8K Events for 2012 The date for the 2012 Festival of the Lakes 8K Events needs to be selected as the Minnesota Distant Running Association, who is our best source of free advertising, is pushing for 2012 dates of running events. MDRA publishes an annual calendar that is widely distributed to Minnesota runners. It is important than we get listed on that calendar. Chairperson Branch initially felt the logical date for 2012 Fete de Lacs would be July 27 -29 with the parade and the run on Saturday July 28th, but there has been some discussion from Ms. Mary Capra and Council Member Jeff Paar, Parade Coordinators, Mr. Bob Cordell, Ham Radio Club and Mr. Greg Keiselhorst, Centerville Lions, regarding the scheduling of events. The input the committee received from Ms. Capra was it was felt the race needs to be at a minimum a full 24 hours following the night of the fireworks. It is difficult for the volunteers who assist with the • fireworks (Anoka Radio Club) which in some years requires them to remain at the site for hours following the shoots, to be up so very early the next day for the skate and run/walk. Then if the race /walkers run long the volunteers run late for the parade briefing/lineup. It was felt by some that it is asking too much for them to perform a volunteer duty under those conditions. If the race was moved to Sunday, rather than Saturday, it would work much better for those volunteers assisting with both events. Chairperson Branch thought Sunday was an option, with the new trail extensions; he intends to move the registration and the finish area to Laurie LaMotte Memorial Park so St. Genevieve church goers would not be impacted on a Sunday morning. The other options suggested would be to move the fireworks to Saturday night, opposed to Friday night, depending on the impact this would have on the Lion's Street Dance, or move the three races away from Fete de Lacs, maybe the last weekend of August or early September. This would make it after the summer heat breaks. After some discussion the committee opted to keep the events scheduled for the Saturday morning of Fete des Lacs weekend. Some changes will be made to the event to coordinate volunteers more effectively and the starting location will be changed, but over all the committee felt it wanted this event to be part of the Fete des Lacs Saturday morning events. Holding the race on a Sunday would affect the amount of runners because of church. It was felt moving the event to the fall was undesirable as people's schedules get too busy with school starting and fall sporting events. Motion was made by Chairperson Branch, seconded by Committee Member Amundsen to to City Council that the Festival of the Lakes 8K Events for 2012 be schedule for the • recommend Saturday of Fete des Lacs weekend, potentially July 27 -29, 2012 following the same basic schedule as in 2011. All in favor. Motion carried unanimously. 20