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NEW ULM-- New Ulm City Council unanimously approved their non-profit contribution requests to be included in the 2024 city budget Tuesday.
The city received 14 applications from non-profit organizations looking for support in the coming year. The initial contribution requests added up to $196,125. At the July 18, 2023 work session, board members recommended requests from Bavarian Blast, Tea for Cancer, and the Brown County Ag Society be rejected. The requests were for $3,000, $10,000, and $6,000 respectively, trimming down the total to $177,125
The board operated with the goal of trimming down the contribution total to either $87,500 or $131,500. The former would be 1% of their levy, while the latter would be 1.5%
At the meeting, each donation was discussed and any changes were noted. Donations to the Heart of New Ulm, CAST, New Ulm Battery, New Ulm Municipal Band, Lind House Association (LHA), Concord Singers, and Southern MN Initiative Foundation stayed at the amount requested. This amounted to $25,000, $20,325, $15,000, $15,000, $10,000, $6,000, and $1,500 respectively.
The council initially wished to cut the (LHA) number down to $7,500. Councilman Les Schultz successfully lobbied the council to approve the full amount due to the roof repairs needed to keep the house viable.
"They got that roof that'll [cost] $250,000," he said. "Before they get done fundraising it will collapse. That’s such a huge amount of money and they don’t have a lot of accessibility to make a lot of money."
An effort to re-introduce the Bavarian Blast request was also successful. Councilman Eric Warmka believed this contribution was necessary to keep parts of the Blast around the community cares about.
"That is our one town parade being put out by an external entity," Warmka said. "We don’t fund them, they’re going to cut the parade. Just like fireworks, that affects this entire community. The thousands of people out at the parade, they appreciate that. This is something they will eliminate because they don’t have to [have it]. It’s a music festival is what they’re doing. They just piggyback on with this."
The Hermann Monument Society and Wanda Gag House received slight changes to their offers. Hermann Monument Society asked for $17,500, while the council recommended $15,000. Schultz said the requested increase was due to the increased cost of fireworks. "[Considering] $15,000 is used just for the fireworks, I think they can still put on a pretty good show," Council President Andrea Boettger answered. The Wanda Gag house price change had no discussion.
The council recommended the New Ulm Business and Retail Association (NUBRA) receive $10,000 instead of $25,000. This is the first time NUBRA has asked for contributions. City Manager Chris Dalton laid out the request and his recommendation.
"The request is purely for marketing retail businesses," he said. "I think a smaller amount for the first year [would be appropriate] to see what they can do with the money and what advertising they can get out. I think it’s a good starting point."
Dalton pointed out cuts needed to be made with the board looking to get their contributions down to the levee amounts.
The Brown County Historical Society saw their funding request cut from $40,000 to $25,000. Their initial ask was the largest of all the groups. BCHS affiliates Councilman Larry Mack and Mayor Kathleen Backer made cases for the amount to be raised. Backer cited BCHS's continuous operation as reasoning for the ask.
"I think it’s important to take a look at the list of organizations asking for money," she said. The [BCHS] is open to the public and carries on its responsibility to collect the significant history of New Ulm 52 weeks out of the year. It’s not something they do occasionally or for one time. It’s an ongoing effort."
Boettger asked if other towns in Brown County provide contributions to the BCHS. BCHS Executive Director Amy Johnson said they do not. Schultz recommended BCHS get the remaining money from other cities in Brown County.
The total contribution amount approved was $147,475, above both of the targeted levy amounts. The preliminary levy total will be set at the City Council meeting September 19, with potential to still lower the amount set before that date.