By Melanie Stegner

news@pctribune.com

A moratorium was put in place in Pope County to prohibit new uses, or the expansion of existing uses related to sales, testing, manufacturing and distribution of cannabis products at last week’s Pope County Board meeting. The purpose of the moratorium is to give the county time to study the land use impacts to public peace, health, morals safety and welfare of county residents, it was stated.

The board agreed that authorizing the study is necessary to evaluate the regulatory options available to the county. The recent legislature enactments have given the county insufficient time to complete the ordinary process and procedures needed for introduction and adoption of a county ordinance, lack of opportunity to evaluate the potential negative impacts, it was discussed by the board.

The document adopted last week states that no business, person or entity may establish a new use or expand an existing use that includes or involves the sale, testing, manufacturing or distribution of cannabis products and that during the term of the ordinance, county staff shall not issue any license or permit or accept or process any applications for uses related to these.

The ordinance is set to be effective through January 1, 2025, or one year from the effective date of the ordinance. According to Pope County Coordinator Kersten Kappmeyer, several area counties are doing something similar. The legislation that was enacted regarding recreational cannabis use will likely not have guidelines for licensing retail sales until early 2025.

Brian Giese, county engineer, gave his monthly report from the highway department. Through October, roadside mowing will continue as well as preparing equipment for the winter season. Bids were received to do some significant bituminous patch work on CSAH 18 between TH 29 and 104. That work should be completed before the end of the month. “The engineering staff is focusing on preparing next year’s construction plans. Most preliminary survey work is completed so most of the engineering work will be shifting into the office,” he stated. 

Giese expects that a final draft of construction plans should be completed this month for the CSAH 17 project. The hope is to provide a public review of the plans shortly after they’re completed. “The final plans will include both substantial changes and minor text or detail changes to the preliminary plans, further study into the existing conditions and ordinary corrections required based on additional review,” added Giese.

In other highway department news, the purchase of a pickup was approved. The preliminary budget figure was $65,000. A quote was received from Marthaler Chevrolet meeting their specifications for $47,200 plus tax and license. An equally equipped pickup from the state contract held by North County GM in Hibbing was received for $46,158.93 plus tax and license. “When you consider the delivery or pick up of the vehicle in Hibbing and the staff time involved, the difference in less than $400, plus the pickup from Marthaler can be serviced locally,” stated Giese. The board approved the purchase from Marthaler Chevrolet unanimously.

A rezoning request was approved for 19.15 acres in O’Larry’s Addition in Minnewaska Township. It was zoned as non-intensive agricultural and is now zoned residential. According to the report from the Land and Resource Office, the non-farm residential homes in the neighborhood predate 2003 with septic permits being issued by the county beginning in 1996. 

A conditional use permit was granted for Michelle and Mark Halls to relocate a used accessory structure to their Gilchrist Lake property. It is a 14×24 shed and will be used to store miscellaneous items associated with maintenance of a shoreland property. The current shed has suffered irreparable damage.

A conditional use permit was granted for Jeremy Walker for a feedlot to include the utilization and expansion of existing feedlot structures on the property that happen to exist in a shoreland designated zoning district. This is not a new feedlot as it is simply an amendment of the current CUP. The request is simply to use an existing area on his property that was formerly used to house the feedlot operation.

A grant of $1,025 was approved from the county’s aquatic invasive species fund to the Amelia Villard Leven Lakes Association to help cover the costs of software and data services for the CD3 watercraft cleaning station on Lake Amelia. The station monitors data on how often and in what ways the station is being used. 

After the board reviewed and paid bills, per diems and employee reimbursements, the meeting was closed under attorney-client privilege to discuss pending litigation. 

The next board meeting is a work session and will be held on October 10 in the third-floor meeting room of the courthouse.