Westphalia aldermen at their Oct. 26 meeting voted to support the Christmas on Main program that is slated for Nov. 28.

Aldermen approved closures of city streets on the parade route and to close part of Main Street for the event’s festivities. The city will require that the organizers of the event purchase event insurance but Westphalia will pay that expense and be listed as an insurer on the policy along with the event sponsors.

Christmas on Main will begin at 4 p.m. with a parade, which will tentatively start at the Dulle Funeral Home parking lot, cross Hwy. 63, and go around the Westphalia Hills Nursing Home before crossing back over Hwy. 63 and going up Castle Rock Road and then to Main Street to end at Fatima R-3 parking lot.  

Area resident and event organizer Sue Lauberth has not contacted Dulle’s Funeral Home or Fatima about using their parking lots and will still have to get permission from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) to close the highway.

“A lot of the stuff that hasn’t been done yet is waiting for approval from the city before we proceed,” Lauberth explained.

Mayor Tammy Massman initially had reservations because of the number of details that had not been addressed, especially contacting MoDOT about closing Hwy. 63. 

“Defining the details is important to know because we have to speak to larger entities,” Massman said. “It opens avenues of liability for any instance that might occur. It is more than just let’s have a Santa parade. I want to make sure every aspect of it is entertained and discussed because when there are repercussions. Not everyone in the galley here who is going to get the call.”

“We will do that,” Lauberth said. “But I wasn’t going to put in the effort to do all of that until we had your approval to proceed.”

After the parade, Lauberth is proposing that part of Main Street remain closed until 7 p.m. for visits with Santa, carolers, a live Nativity Scene, and a tree-lighting ceremony.

“Generally, with road closures, there is an inherent concern with the city’s liability,” Massman said.  “In essence, you’re wanting the street to be an active part of the venue.” 

Area business owner Dr. Sam Barnhart asked if the city had purchased event insurance for other events like the car show.  Massman said that the city has not purchased event insurance in her time as mayor and that the car show sponsors were not required to get it.

Lauberth stressed that this was a family, kid-friendly event that did not seem to incur a lot of risks.

“It doesn’t sound real risky,” Dr. Barnhart said. “I think the real question is no matter how low the risk is, there is risk there.”

Since the event is not a money-making event for community organizers, they would have to purchase the event insurance out-of-pocket.

“This is a cool place,” Dr. Barnhart said. “(Main Street) is really cool. It’s a little old German community that has a lot of nostalgia to it but I do think you should have event insurance.”

Dr. Barnhart explained that when they have done bow shoots in the past, event insurance has run about $400. 

He suggested charging participants for the event. City attorney Dougg Stultz suggested having area businesses sponsor the event and pay for the event insurance.

Dr. Barnhart and several other local business owners immediately offered to sponsor the event.

“That’s really generous of all of you but why can’t the city do it?” Lauberth asked.

“It is really disappointing that the city of Westphalia doesn’t sponsor events like this,” resident Nicki Bax said.

“I don’t understand what the problem is,” resident Dale Logan said. “Santa’s not going to burn his sleigh off on Main Street, right? I think the city sponsoring it is a good idea.”

“You guys are wanting the city to take responsibility for any legal actions because the hosting parties don’t want to,” Alderman Stanley Heckman said. “When it’s not even an event we came up with ourselves.”

“I agree,” Dr. Barnhart said. “You’re asking the city to pay for it and they aren’t getting anything out of it.”

“It’s not the city’s money,” resident Glenn Bock said. “It’s our money.”

“Whoever is sponsoring it, you’re going to want to get (insurance),” Stultz said. “If something goes wrong and you don’t have it, the sponsors are going to be on the hook. You need to protect yourself by getting the insurance.”

“I’m a taxpayer,” Logan said. “I’m a resident here. I like the idea. This is a big-time German Catholic town and this is good stuff. I think it is a great idea.”

“I think it is a great idea but we have to figure out the risk factors,” Aldermen Delbert Wieberg said. 

Massman was also concerned that not all of Westphalia’s businesses were included in the small area of Main Street that will be closed off.

Westphalia Pizza Company owner Melissa Conley offered that any business that isn’t within the area closed off for the Christmas on Main program could set up in the upstairs of her building so that they could participate if they wanted to.

“I think the bigger question is what does the town of Westphalia think or feel as far as it pertains to this general concept of having events?” Dr. Barnhart asked. 

He has been thinking about purchasing the Westphalia Inn and renting out the space to several businesses.

“I’ve certainly imagined events that require Main Street closures as really awesome things that Westphalia can sponsor in the future,” Dr. Barnhart said. “I would imagine a lot of the local businesses would get behind something like this and the real question is does the city of Westphalia feel like that is a good thing for Westphalia or not?”

Dr. Barnhart suggested establishing some precedent for how events can be handled in the future.

Massman agreed that there would need to be some guidelines set up for how and why events were approved.

“You really need to answer that broader question,” Dr. Barnhart persisted. “Is the city behind cool little events that promote local businesses and bring in families to talk about it and have great times and make memories on Main Street in Westphalia or not?”

“It takes more than one meeting to address the board to work through the details and process and understand that some of this is new and there are proper procedures to adhere to for everybody’s inherent liability and risk,” Massman replied. “It definitely has not been something that has been approached before.”

Massman reiterated that her position as mayor was to play devil’s advocate and promote conversation and that motions and votes were generated by the aldermen.

“When you refer to the city you are referring to the whole council and not me independently or Kerry (Bax) as the city clerk,” Massman said.

Massman requested that the event planners keep in close contact with the city as details were finalized.

She suggested to aldermen that the city come up with a set of procedures and guidelines for all future events to be set up formally by the city.

In related business, the city of Westphalia will sponsor the annual Christmas Decorating Contest on Dec. 12. Prizes will be the same as they have been in years past, with first place receiving a cash price of $50, $40 for second place, $30 for third place, and $20 for fourth place.  There will be four selected for honorable mention. Aldermen and the mayor are not eligible to participate.

In other business, aldermen approved that All Clear Pumping and Sewer clean out all the lift stations and install the new pump at the Hwy. 63 Lift Station. They also approved Nathan VanLoo to be contacted to straighten out the wiring on the Hwy. 63 Lift Station.

Wieberg has continued to investigate the problems with the sewer system manholes.

Massman noted that there has been no formal report concerning the sewer system since the city is still transitioning to a new sewer operations supervisor following the resignation of Phil Peaks after the special meeting last month.

* Logan brought up issues from stormwater in yards along City View Drive. 

“My yard is starting to get dips in it from all of the runoff because the asphalt has been built up and overlaid so many times,” Logan said. “(The street) is eight to 10 inches thick.”

Schmitz has recently brought up the same concerns about Maries Ave.

“It needs to be addressed,” Logan said.

“Absolutely,” Massman said. “We will add it to our list of prospective projects.”

* There will be two aldermen seats up for election on April 5, 2022. Alderman Danny Wilde and Alderman Gerhard Schmitz, Jr.’s terms are up for election. Interested candidates can file for election from Dec. 7-28.

Anyone interested in running for aldermen must be a city resident and can contact the city clerk by phone or email.

* City resident Glenn Bock resigned from the Planning and Zoning Committee.

* The city had the following expenses for the month: city fund ($3,783.64), sewer system ($4,871.71), and special road district ($369.40).

* Westphalia had the following receipts for the month: city ($7,91190), sewer ($9,294.77), and special road district ($9,294.77).

* The city had the following account balances: city checking ($166,698.40), sewer system ($29,505.30), special road district checking ($85,304.71), and special road district savings ($5,110.60).

* Westphalia holds the following certificates of deposit:  city ($438,177.59), sewer system ($520,279.45), and special road district ($521,279.36).

* The next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 30 at 6:30 p.m.