MARSHALL - More details were unveiled for the SkyFest air show at Tuesday's regular meeting of the Marshall City Council. The council voted to approve several pieces of business related to SkyFest, including a special event permit for the festival and safety and parking contracts.
City Engineer Glenn Olson outlined parking areas for the event, including a city-owned lot near the airport and parking lots at US Bancorp and the city softball complex. There will be an additional charge for parking. The festival is intended as a fundraiser for Western Community Action, Olson reminded council members.
Marshall director of public safety Rob Yant outlined a proposal for directing traffic at the event. The proposal included a total of four Marshall Police officers, posted at the entrance to the airport, on Lyon County Road 7, at the intersection of 7 and Highway 19, and at the intersection of Highway 19 and Channel Parkway at noon.
"That takes up every person but me, and I plan to be there," Yant said. The challenge to directing traffic to the Marshall airport, Olson said, is that visitors would be using the same roads that detour around construction on Highway 23.
Yant said the police department would charge for three of the officers. The department generally doesn't charge to provide security during city parades, but has charged in the past for security at street dances, he said.
Yant said the Lyon County Sheriff's Department and the State Patrol would also be monitoring SkyFest, North Memorial Ambulance would be providing its services, and the Marshall Fire Department agreed to have a truck on standby during the air show.
The discussion wasn't all permits, however. Alan Bakke of Western Community Action said SkyFest will feature a thank-you for members of the Marshall unit of the National Guard, who will be in the area the weekend of July 10-11, marking 60 days after their return from employment. As part of the recognition, members of the Guard unit and their families would have free admission to SkyFest, he said.
The council also finalized a cleaning services contract with C&C Cleaners of Marshall for janitorial services in city buildings including the airport arrival/departure building, the adult community center, wastewater treatment facility and Studio 1. The council also approved compensation for C&C for the additional month the council took to award bids.
Council member Charlie Sanow, the owner of C&C Cleaners, abstained from the vote, but the rest of the council gave the unanimous vote required to approve the contract.
Later in the meeting, Sanow said he had a problem with the city personnel committee meeting where the contract was discussed. Sanow said he tried to attend the committee meeting as a member of the public, but was not allowed because it would have meant a quorum of the council was present at the meeting.
Marshall city attorney Dennis Simpson said having four council members present at the same committee meeting would violate the Minnesota open meeting law, which prohibits full-quorum council meetings without posting notice of the meetings.
"You and I may have to agree to disagree," Simpson told Sanow.
Marshall city administrator Ben Martig said that he had also been taught to avoid full-quorum committee meetings.
"Generally . . . when you have four members, you have to post it as a meeting of the city council," Martig said.
Sanow gave Simpson a copy of an opinion Sanow obtained from the Minnesota attorney general's office on the matter.
"It's very clear," Sanow said. As long as he did not conduct business with the council, Sanow said, he should be allowed to attend open meetings.
"It angers me when I lose my rights," Sanow said.
Martig said he and Simpson would review the opinion and have recommendations for the council at its next meeting.