After a brief public hearing Tuesday without public comment, the Sherburne County Board adopted an ordinance relating to regulation and registration of cannabis businesses and lower potency edible hemp retail businesses.

The purpose of the ordinance is to set guidelines for those businesses within the boundaries of the county. Those businesses are not allowed within 1,000 feet of a school; 500 feet of a daycare; 500 feet of a residential treatment facility; 500 feet of a place of worship and within 500 feet of an attraction within a public park that is regularly used by minors, including but not limited to a playground or athletic field.

Distance is measured between the closest point of the cannabis retail business property line to the closest point of the property line of the school, daycare, residential treatment facility, place of worship, or the closest boundary of a public park attraction regularly used by minors.

The county will be the cannabis retail business registration authority. A cannabis retail business license holder is required to allow any law enforcement officials, Auditor/ Treasurer’s, or Health and Human Services’ designee to enter the premises during regular business hours for the purpose of determining compliance with the ordinance.

Assistant County Attorney Jennifer Pim said the county currently has a moratorium on cannabis businesses that expires on Dec. 31, 2024.

“Which is the reason why the county needed to get these ordinances in place,” she told the board. “This is before the board to regulate and to walk through the procedures for registration for the retailers, whether it’s the cannabis, medical cannabis or lower potency hemp.”

The vote was unanimous.

MFIP contract

The board approved a contract with AVIVO for the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) and Divisionary Work Program (DWP) for Employment Training and Services. AVIVO will provide the administration and delivery of the MFIP and DWP employment training programs from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2025.

The county has budgeted $310,300 for MFIP and $75,970 for DWP, with project costs covered through state and federal funds.

Property Purchase

The board approved the purchase of 19054 Meadowvale Road NW in Elk River for $270,000. The county was successful in securing Federal Aid funding for the reconstruction of Co. Rd. 44. Safety improvements involve realignment of the road at the BNSF Rail crossing, which included realignment of Co. Rd. 35. The realignment requires acquisition of the property.

Camera System Agreement

The board approved an agreement with Paladin Technologies to upgrade the current Genetec Camera Systems within the Government Center and the Zimmerman Law Enforcement Center at the low bid cost of $83,201.

The current security system hardware was purchased in 2010 with software installations in both 2012 and 2018. The project would replace back-end computer infrastructure hardware that supports 429 total security cameras and modernize the system software.

The cost will be covered by $26,624.32 from the year-end savings account and $56,576.68 from the Jail Commissary Fund.

MnDOT Grant

The board approved a MnDOT grant agreement for Sherburne County to receive an additional $395,498.00 in Local Road Improvement Program (LRIP) Funds for the Hwy. 169 and Co. Rd. 4 Interchange Project. The county has already been awarded $2 million through an LRIP grant in 2020.

Other Business

In other actions the board:

• Authorized the Auditor-Treasurer to publish a Call for Bids for awarding of the 2025 contract(s) for the official county newspaper. Bids will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. Dec. 19;

• Set the date for the 2025 County Board of Appeal and Equalization Meeting as June 17 2025 at 3 p.m.;

• Authorized the Public Works Director to attend the National Lifesavers Conference in Los Angeles County, CA from March 8-11, 2025;

• Proclaimed November as Adoption Month in Sherburne County.