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The Albert Lea City Council spoke Monday during its regular work session about whether to open the splash pad for public use or allow rentals of city facilities amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Though a few council members said they supported the reopening of the facilities, others raised the issue of liability for the city in doing so. 

Interim City Manager Jerry Gabrielatos said he reached out to Freeborn County Public Health Director Sue Yost for her opinion about reopening the splash pad, and she did not recommend opening it because it would be impossible to control the number of people using it unless it was staffed. She also had concerns about proper social distancing. 

Gabrielatos said there had been some discussion among staff about whether to have the rentals at city facilities such as the Edgewater Pavilion and Edgewater Cottage available if the renters acknowledge the health guidelines in place for social distancing and the number of people that can be in the facilities. He noted he planned to reach out to Yost for an opinion on the rentals as well. 

Second Ward Councilor Larry Baker questioned if there could be any repercussion against the city if multiple people contracted the virus after attending an event at one of the city facilities. 

Albert Lea City Attorney Kelly Martinez said because it was foreseeable that people would not follow the state guidelines, the city could be exposed to liability. 

Fourth Ward Councilor Reid Olson said he thought it would be difficult to trace the virus back to a specific event, when a person could have contracted it through other locations such as stores or gas stations. He said he thinks the city should move forward and start renting out the facilities and get back to a more normal way of life. 

“If people are going to have parties in their backyard with 40 to 60 people, what’s the difference if we let them rent out one of our facilities?” Olson said. “Hopefully, they do the right thing and keep themselves spaced out. These are nice places — revenue generators.” 

Third Ward Councilor Jason Howland said he has asked what the difference is between the city’s public parks — which are opened and where people can gather — and the city’s splash pad. There aren’t staff at parks or the splash pad and both are in the open air and outdoors.

“At some point you just have to let people use good judgment and be responsible,” Howland said, noting how he didn’t understand how the splash pad couldn’t be open if the parks are open. 

Gabrielatos said he thinks the difference between parks and the splash pad is that people are more likely to come into contact with each other at the splash pad than at parks. 

Martinez said the splash pad is also a more confined space than most of the city’s parks, where people would have more space to social distance. 

Mayor Vern Rasmussen Jr. said unfortunately the perfect answer for most people is whatever answer the city doesn’t choose. 

“Everyone’s going to assume that whatever you don’t do — that was going to turn out perfect,” Rasmussen said. “Opening the splash pad might be a fine thing to do, but if 20 kids come out with COVID because one was there, it wasn’t the perfect thing to do.” 

He said he thinks the virus is probably more serious that what has been experienced in the area. 

“I think opening up the city to liability scares me,” he said. 

While he wishes the city could open things up, he is concerned about the ramifications that could have. 

Albert Lea Finance Director Kristi Brutlag said the city has given out $17,000 in refunds thus far for rentals at city-owned properties and noted the city had budgeted $48,000 in revenue from rentals for the year.