After a brief public hearing Tuesday without public comment, the Sherburne County Board approved amendments to the Parks Regulations Ordinance.

Sherburne County Parks Director Gina Hugo opened with an overview of the proposed changes recommended by the Parks and Trails Advisory Committee.

“Since the last comprehensive review and update in 2018, we’ve really seen a major shift toward the use of electric bicycles and electric personal assistive devices, like standing Segways - the one wheel or two wheel devices,” she said. “Without language in the ordinance to address potential concerns with these uses, staff worked with the county attorney’s office to draft proposed language, which was then reviewed and discussed by the Parks and Trails Advisory Committee over the course of two meetings.”

Some of the proposed changes include new definitions for trails and vehicles.

As far as regulating the use of electric vehicles, Hugo said the committee agreed to recommend setting a speed limit for trails at 20 mph.

“The committee came to this recommendation after quite a bit of discussion about regulating the class of e-bikes that are allowed,” she said. “But then it’s really hard to tell the difference between e-bike classes visually. This would make it almost impossible to enforce, so the decision was made to have an overall speed limit for the trails, which is far more enforcible.”

In addition to setting a speed limit, the committee recommended  adding a provision to allow for ceremonial use of tobacco by Native Americans.

The other update was to distinguish the penalty for all violations as a misdemeanor, except for the use of cannabis and hemp, which is a petty misdemeanor punishable by up to a $50 fine.

Homelessness Grant

The board approved the PATH (Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness) Grant contract renewal between CAMHI (CommUNITY Adult Mental Health Initiative) and Sherburne County.

Eligible participants for the grant will also have serious mental illness or serious and persistent mental illness. CAMHI is subcontracting with Sherburne, Benton, Stearns, and Wright Counties to provide outreach and case management services.

CAMHI will be contracting with Sherburne County for the amount of $95,282, which will be used to pay employment costs for one of the county’s two housing staff.

SSTS Agreement

The board approved of an agreement between Sherburne County and the City of Zimmerman to regulate subsurface sewage treatment systems (SSTS) within the city.

The county will be responsible for permitting, inspections and enforcement for all septic systems located within the City of Zimmerman’s jurisdiction.

Residents in Zimmerman will utilize the county’s permitting portal to apply for and pay all fees directly to the county. Zimmerman has approximately 120 septic systems that the county would regulate and permit.

Jail Expansion

The board approved the Pre-Construction Solicitation Award to Adolfson & Peterson Construction at $82,500 for the Jail Expansion Project. Professional services sought are for Pre-Construction Planning and Construction Management for certain areas related to the renovation/expansion of the Sherburne County Jail.

Other Business

In other actions the board:

• Approved the 2026-2027 Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) Grant Agreement and accepted the grant award in the amount of $298,000. REP Grant funds provide critical support for Radiological Emergency Preparedness planning, training, exercises, drills, conferences and Emergency Operations Center staff time;

• Appointed Elisabeth Spilde as Deputy Chief County Attorney;

• Accepted a donation of $500 from the Elk River Sportsman Club to the Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit.