Redwood Falls council approves waiving some regulations for restaurants’ outdoor dining

At Tuesday’s special meeting, the Redwood Falls City Council approved some steps to allow local restaurants to better serve customers while following Governor Tim Walz’s current outdoor-dining restrictions.

City Administrator Keith Muetzel said the city has gotten inquiries from a number of Redwood Falls restaurants asking if they would be allowed to expand their outdoor dining areas. Muetzel said there are zoning and liability issues that each restaurant would need to address, but that the city would be willing to work with restaurant owners and managers to see if workable solutions could be found.

After discussion, the council voted to approve two motions:

The first, to declare a 90-day moratorium on zoning, setback, and other regulations so local bars and restaurants can make better use of their outdoor spaces for dining. The moratorium would be ended, and regulations go back into effect, if Governor Walz allows bars and restaurants to open at 100 percent capacity before the 90 days are up.

2) To make the city’s current inventory of picnic tables and barricades available to area restaurants for a fee, rented on a monthly basis.

For more information, contact Redwood Falls City Hall.