City Council - Regular Meeting

Welcome to Agenda Edina, a program summarizing the actions taken at City Hall that affect you most. I'm your host, Dorothea Marty. The Edina City Council has approved updates to the City's Park Ordinance aimed at helping keep parks safe, welcoming, and available for their intended use. The changes come after several incidents involving large, unplanned gatherings in city parks, including the July shooting at Yancey Park and unauthorized commercial gatherings at Arneson Acres Park. The ordinance is part of the City's broader response focused on enforcement, engagement and policy. After extensive discussion, the Council decided not to require permits for gatherings of 25 or more people in city parks. Instead, the approved ordinance focuses on providing clearer rules and additional enforcement tools.

There are several reasons that 25 people might gather in a park. There has never been an intent to stop something from happening in our parks that our residents are doing when they're using the parks in a responsible way that they're intended for. And so with this particular one, we did not... want anyone to feel like, well, if you have 25 people or more, then you have to have a formal permit and go through the advance reservation process.

The ordinance gives people with valid reservations priority use of park buildings, picnic shelters, athletic fields, and other reservable spaces. prohibits commercial for-profit entertainment and assemblies in city parks unless authorized, restricts amplified sound and music in the formal garden area of Arneson Acres Park, clarifies the city's authority to issue, deny, or revoke permits, and, when necessary, temporarily close parks in the interest of public safety. Violations of the ordinance are classified as petty misdemeanors.

Now that we've received city council guidance on changes to the city code and park ordinance in particular, we look forward to implementing those changes, working with the park users, our park staff, and ensuring that the conditions within our park are met for all so that they can have a reasonable, safe, and enjoyable experience when they visit Edina Parks.