BAXTER — The Fourth of July parade and celebration will go on this summer — in Baxter.
The Baxter City Council on Tuesday approved a request by Brainerd Community Action to move the Fourth of July festivities to Baxter for 2012.
Nancy Cross, Community Action executive director, asked the city for approval to work with city staff on details.
In looking for a separate site to host the Fourth of July parade, which is traditionally in Brainerd, Cross said the goal was to have a single space for the crowd so people don’t have to move, that major road arteries are kept open and the parade route won’t be staged or routed through a residential area.
The Baxter parade route runs along Clearwater Road, Golf Course Drive, south to Excelsior Road and then north on Cypress Drive before cutting back to Clearwater Road. The route basically circles the southern half of the former Pine Meadows Golf Course.
A segment of Excelsior Road would be closed for the parade, mainly affecting the Autumn Glenn residential area, along with a segment of Golf Course Drive between Universal and Design roads. Cross said residents of the affected areas could have passes to allow them through the closed roads.
Cross said they have raised the $15,000 set as a goal for the fireworks celebration.
Cross reported the Mills family was kind enough to allow use of their lot by Target and The Body Works for an entertainment area with stage that would face toward Highway 371 and away from residences. The fireworks would be set off from the dead-end of Cypress Drive.
“I’m hoping you will direct staff to work with me to make this thing happen,” Cross said.
Council member Jim Klein said: “I’m actually excited. I think it’s about time Baxter has a celebration. ... I’m all for this.”
Parking is expected to be available from closed retail sites such as Mills Fleet Farm. But Cross noted there is no public ground in this route and absolutely no campers or recreational vehicles will be allowed to park in the area as there is absolutely no place for them to go.
Baxter Police Chief Jim Exsted said his main concern is with staffing requirements, which will be imperative in the busy traffic area. Exsted said it will cost about $1,500 in overtime expenses for the parade this year.
Cross said whether the parade can go back to its old route will depend on the College Drive reconfiguration. She said the future of returning the parade there will be a later decision, likely in the fall. At this point, Cross said moving the parade to Baxter is considered a one-year plan.
Mayor Darrel Olson said he wanted to make one thing clear — that the request was coming under duress with the construction at College Drive and from his standpoint the goal is not to take the parade from Brainerd.
“We’re not looking to steal this parade,” Olson said.
He added with money coming in to help Community Action make its goal, that means the people want the celebration to happen some place.
Exsted said if the parade is moved to Baxter in future years, that is likely to cost the city $3,500 to $4,000 in overtime budgets for his department.
This year, Exsted said the Brainerd Police Department and Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Department are working with Baxter for public safety with the Fourth of July celebration.
“We can make it happen,” Exsted said.
For this first year change, Exsted said they will want to provide more than enough staff and then make changes with an after-action review. Until it happens, Exsted said they won’t know where people will attempt to park and with the busy Highway 371 raises concerns.
The council approved the plan. Council member Mark Cross, who is married to Nancy Cross, abstained. Council member Todd Holman wasn’t yet present for the meeting for this vote.
RENEE RICHARDSON, senior reporter, may be reached at 855-5852 or renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Dispatchbizbuzz.
Comments (17)
Add commentBrainerd lets everything go to Baxter.
Brainerd lets everything go to Baxter. Baxter will not have to "steal it" in the future. This is one less thing for the Brainerd Council Member to do (work on the 4th of July parade). They could have found a route near the Crow Wing County Fairgrounds. But the Council members are too busy trying to figure out how they can get out of working - they are there for their paycheck - not for the benefit of Brainerd.
No one goes to Brainerd anymore not on vacation or even people in the surrounding areas - they go to Baxter. We have nothing except one Hotel. What is in Brainerd - for shopping, sleeping, eating or entertainment? (Jack's House & Paul Bunyan are out of the city limits). Now the one thing people actually went to Brainerd for is now also gone.
WOW
Well at least they finally found a use for the road to no-where. Somebody might want to burn the grass off now so there wont be so many ticks & lymes around.
parade route
Glad to hear at least there will be a parade and fireworks and I do hope it goes back to Brainerd next year.
Giving up
is way to easy
4th of July Celebration/Parade
I think it's terrific the communities are working together to make the celebration happen. It's important to the whole community, not just one city. That said, I too hope it returns to Brainerd.
*freaks out*
I'm running to Baxter right now with my fence post driver and a roll of barbed wire to stake out my spot!!!!!!!
Keep your little kids outta my way, I'm going to kick any toddlers or candy urchins who get in my sight path.
Sweet
I love it. I will be able to sit in my backyard now and not have to travel to see the fireworks.
I never (hardly ever) go to Brainerd anyway......what for?
You go Baxter!
Yep.Parade
right through downtown Baxter and ending the day with fireworks at the area newest nature park.
4th of July
Brainerd seems to have no clue on what it takes to build a city. Brainerd has made every move possible to make their city die and go away. Home values have dropped, unemployment is higher than any surrounding areas and when money is available they will gladly spend it on something we don't need.
It's time we get the dead beats off the city council and get people in that care about the people in this town rather than their pet projects and egotistic ideas.
Tax Dollars
The taxpayers of Brainerd transfer about $100,000 a year to Brainerd Community Action. I wonder if there are plans to have the taxpayers of Baxter reimburse Brainerd for the 2012 year.
This year, with government revenues being down, the City of Brainerd has budgeted $83,704 to go to Community Action to put on the Great American Celebration.
After perusing the city of Baxter financials I do not believe the taxpayers of Baxter pay one red cent for this annual tradition.
It could be a shame if the taxpayers of Brainerd reconsidered their dedication to a Baxter event.
Seriously look at renaming area!
I really feel that we (as an area) should take a hard look at renaming our beautiful area the Baxter Lakes Area. The City of Brainerd has really done nothing in promotion of the area (ever) and they are a total drain on the area's economy. It's no fault of the Brainerd residents except in the fact they keep electing the same old tired council people year after year. If you think I'm wrong just list the accomplishments of the Brainerd City Council of what role they have taken in the leadership of this area in the last 30 years. Crickets chirping? It's because they have done nothing!! This is just one more example of the Brainerd City Council not being effective in anything.
@JohnBrown
Obviously you have no idea what you are talking about. Baxter give a pretty hefty donation the Brainerd Community Action EVERY year... Brainerd does not. That tax money you are referring to is not for the Fourth of July Celebration, that money goes to help other non-profits obtain 501(c)3's, Brainerd Community Action's mission statement. The entire week of festivities for the Fourth of July is funded by donations and donations alone.
I wonder how
Mary Koep is celebrating this... No disgusting commoner peasants in front of her house this year drinking Budweisers and disrupting her day...
@rlc
I could easily be wrong. I don't pay all that much attention to the City of Baxter's finances. I am a Brainerd resident so I do pay attention to Brainerd's city finances. The taxpayers of Brainerd have provided $298,886 to Community Action over the last three years. That's real.
I was under the impression that Community Action's Mission was to provide a variety of volunteer supported activities, events, and services aimed at community involvement and improvement.
Thank you for clarifying!
@JohnBrown
Brainerd Community Action's mission statement is "
The purpose of Brainerd Community Action is to establish unity within the community and to obtain personal involvement by the greatest number of the community's people. Brainerd Community Action works to enrich the lives of the entire citizenry by defining problems, assessing resources and working out programs that may offer solutions to those problems." (Straight from their website). Meaning they help groups of people with a common interest, ex: the old Children's theater, then come up with a game plan, and how it helps the community, and gets people in the community involved. Then Community Action spends time on writing out the IRS forms necessary for getting a 501(c)3, or if it's a one time event, they help in any way possible. Community Action helps many groups with fundraising and event throwing: VFW, American Leagion, Senior Center, Brainerd Lions Club, Brainerd JC's...
You are wrong about where the taxpayer money goes. None of it goes to the Fourth of July Celebration. That is all donated dollars from people all over the Lakes Area, into St. Cloud and the Cities.
Community Action and the 4th of July
From my understanding and limited knowledge; the Community Action program funding is in place not just to put on the awesome event that it has since 1976, but more importantly to help the entire Brainerd Lakes Area. Over the years it has helped many non profit foundations in the Brainerd Lakes Area get their start, keep them running, and educate them to keep them going which is its main focus. Community Action has put on the parade for many years before my time as a resident of the area, and I have taken part to help do fundraising to pay for the 4th of July Festivities each year which is a huge project. Some of the funds allocated by the Cities in the Brainerd Lakes Area are used to help with these festivities but as always the major percentage of funds for the festivities are raised from fundraising thru sponsorships from local businesses and residents from all of the Brainerd Lakes Communities. Up until this year, the downtown Brainerd area was always the most feasible place to have the celebration for all, but with the construction THIS YEAR challenges arose. Community Action assembled a meeting with an open inventation for anyone who wanted to help keep this celebration alive to come take part and brainstorm. As a result of suggestions from that panel, and other suggestions received, they worked with City officials from Brainerd and Baxter to come up with the best solution for a safe enviroment to host the venue. Collaboration between both cities police departments, and city councils to approve the location took place and the result is we have a spot to celebrate not as Brainerd's parade and Fireworks but as a community which up to this point is what the celebration has always been about. So in closing from everything I have read in the past few weeks, and in my opinion we need to thank all involved, Mayors from both cities, City Councils, Police Departments, Residents, Businesses, The Mills Family and Community Action all for working towards the common goal keeping the fun, safe, memory making celebration alive instead of one person or another trying to take credit, or ownership of the areas Community Celebration of Freedom.......just my opinion
@24k
THANK YOU MR. BLING!!! I couldn't agree more!!