NEW ULM – The Park & Recreation Commission passed a motion on Monday to make a recommendation to the City Council authorizing an application to the League of American Bicyclists for a Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) designation.

The BFC designation provides a roadmap for community to improve conditions for bicyclists and the guidance to make communities more bike friendly. The City and New Ulm Bike Club will collaborate to complete the application.

Neither the application nor the designation incurs any financial costs, but conducting safety education classes or providing additional accommodation could incur future expense if the city implements new bike friendly elements.

Cindy Winters of the New Ulm Bike group explained the application was strictly for designation and was intended as a database collection tool that the community could use. “They are more of advocacy group than a bike riding group,” she said.

Commissioner Dennis Born raised concern that the recommendation from League of American Bicyclists would not conform with New Ulm. “I think the transportation aspect of bicycling is too big to justify getting involved with it. We can’t even support a bicycle shop,” he said.

Winters said that once infrastructure was in place more people will begin biking which could lead to a bike shop and other related businesses.

“It has been proven that bicycling is an economic driver for communities,” said Winters. “It’s something that young families are looking for. They want bike-able, walkable communities.”

Commissioner Gene Slettedahl explained that he was a member of the bike club and had an interest in seeking the BFC designation. He made the motion to recommend authorizing the application which was seconded by Commissioner Ruth Ann Webster. The motion passed with Born voting against it. Born felt not enough information was available to seek a recommendation at this time.

Waraju Distillery

The Commission unanimously passed two motions related to the former Waraju Distillery and site in Harman Park. The first motion recommended a Minnesota Legacy grant of $3,000 to document the history of the former distillery site. The second motion authorized the application for National Historic Registry status for the Waraju Distillery.

In order to pursue additional State Legacy grant funding for stabilization, preservation, and interpretation of the Distillery chimney and remains, it is necessary to add the property to the National Register.

Park and Rec Department Director Tom Schmitz said he was unaware of an active recreational use of the site and believed the preservation of the ruins would best serve the community.

Online payments

The Commission learned that Park & Rec staff are using new management and finance software. The new software allowed Park & Rec to accept credit card payment at the start of 2015.

Assistant Park and Rec Director Cheryl Kormann said that on Jan. 5 with online program registration now available the department took in $6,000 in credit card sales.

Another benefit of the new system is the ability to post schedules online for the Civic Center.