[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6098777,"mediaKeyId","2822570-96cc77ecea046959779396f1041053b6","parentId",2822570,"title","Council directs planning commission to review draft cannabis ordinances; buffers, hours and cultivation zones remain open","audioSeconds",1389,"startMs",1061000,"endMs",2450000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2822570-96cc77ecea046959779396f1041053b6&start=1061&end=2450","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2822570-96cc77ecea046959779396f1041053b6/thumbnail_1061000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6098777/Minnetrista-City/Hennepin-County/Minnesota/Council-directs-planning-commission-to-review-draft-cannabis-ordinances-buffers-hours-and-cultivation-zones-remain-open","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6098777-fce45d86345f2ce88dd7ba993bee3a8f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445395&Signature=YBtvqQNiUWAjh39CDk4zZn-yRWXEkJqhmBd2oDbkCGXH0JkvoE87j1sNe6AUl9sH1vCB060HUMAI3MMyDCtdJwmvCm1XQ7yaEsOU0HUSWsKbpJuVGfdZSw4nG~2zNnRo-R39nfOXMzFa6IH4yT8PixflBPsMZkv4QH78805viSMZTbhiDFoEu9CCcs4GinzdHK~qCpOvniTRJ6zxa23g~rMR6ofW7I5PpsA2QPwsgUOPuiuA4XOdaeIRduqmbw0DHHzP0nb4Uy5l-xa755donybwQ4iGbPj2cGWk3FJqMxhWU1jZzhAtJuPR8jjnafCjt1Z2--U~bV~A~LAgKGDeyw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Minnetrista, MN","date","2025-01-22T00:00:00Z","article","The Minnetrista City Council on Jan. 22 reviewed draft ordinances to regulate cannabis businesses and directed staff and the planning commission to continue the code-writing process and hold a public hearing.

City legal counsel Joe summarized two related ordinance tracks: (1) zoning rules that identify where various cannabis business types can operate, and (2) an administrative registration ordinance that governs city-level permitting and enforcement once the state issues licenses. Joe explained the sequencing: applicants obtain a state license and then seek city zoning verification; retailers also must register with the city after state licensure.

Why it matters: the council must decide local limits even though the state issues primary licenses. Among the unresolved policy choices discussed were where to permit cultivation (commercial districts versus agricultural parcels; one councilmember suggested an acreage floor such as 50 acres to limit cultivation siting), whether cultivation must be fully enclosed, and how to measure statutory buffers. The draft follows the statute’s maximum buffer allowances (for example, buffers measured from schools and other protected facilities), but Joe and staff noted implementation details — whether the buffer should be measured to a park’s property line or to a mapped park feature — could materially reduce the number of eligible parcels.

Additional points: the draft ordinance allows the city to limit the number of retail registrations (statutory mechanism: one registration per 12,500 residents) and to set registration fees and hours of operation. Staff said the statute provides substantial default hours (8 a.m. to 2 a.m.) but the city may opt for narrower hours (for example, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.); police staff expressed a preference for shorter hours for easier enforcement. Joe also said the statutes allow temporary cannabis events; under state law such events may include on-site consumption unless the city specifically prohibits it, so the council must decide whether, and where, to allow those events. The current draft limits most cannabis uses to the industrial district except for retailers, which are handled separately in the draft.

Outcome and next steps: the council directed staff to forward the draft ordinances to the planning commission, which the city has scheduled for a public hearing at its Jan. 27 meeting at 7 p.m.; Councilmember Claudia Lacey said she would attend as the council liaison. The planning commission will review buffers, allowable zones, hours of operation, event rules and the registration/lottery mechanics and return a recommendation to the council for a future vote. No ordinance was adopted at the work session.

Ending: Staff will bring the planning commission’s recommendation back to the council for further direction; the draft contains multiple policy choices that the council must clarify before a final ordinance is adopted.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","January 22, 2025 Minnetrista City Council Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","The Minnetrista City Council on Jan. 22 reviewed draft ordinances to regulate cannabis businesses and directed staff and the planning commission to continue the code-writing process and hold a public hearing.","taxTitle","Minnetrista City, Hennepin County, Minnesota","taxId",71200,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6098782,"Council hears near-$30 million estimate for new Minnetrista water plant; asks staff for options and Feb. 3 follow-up",668,3260000,3928000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2822570-96cc77ecea046959779396f1041053b6&start=3260&end=3928","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2822570-96cc77ecea046959779396f1041053b6/thumbnail_3260000.jpg","/articles/6098782/Minnetrista-City/Hennepin-County/Minnesota/Council-hears-near-30-million-estimate-for-new-Minnetrista-water-plant-asks-staff-for-options-and-Feb-3-follow-up","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6098782-a6009592249ebb15f8bfcb66f398a504/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445395&Signature=PsEb54OeBOERtC663LTekLLPwKOgOVveNnMVfItnkiocm2Ku72iIpnkaYfCuJSlD3waEVIXsm~V4fRzquqK4Rr0vAbyD2Bf9FZb1FuXPQnwFPbvEJdlT~RyVXAH3AIg~AfWfAFEZcNCDdf8yyQ-U0Qk-MMfKvyCjWU2ibBO6a1llgTQn4JzczlfyR~9-2sD6O6RvBMok1fSh5UJEkRrGRw-dFcPnUtRLbQ1uGHnTPw92Kbmm1RZ-kvcmWlQcIU1lwPCf6x8e3rx4i6AyAKm38BoARu40hcVczhTCfZMDkmEnDiuDOypjkHSwKipNfOIP9OOIk4Ivlx1QX1qAap9bxw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a Jan. 22 Minnetrista City Council work session, city engineers told the council the current 60% design for a new water treatment plant has come in far higher than earlier estimates and that the total program cost could approach $30 million when drilled wells, looping pipe and decommissioning are included.

The presentation by Eric Holder, the consulting engineer for the project, laid out the project site, an updated compact plant footprint and the plant’s intended capacity. “Our team started design last year with the goal of a 2,100-gallon-per-minute plant,” Holder said, and the design includes a large clearwell to give operational flexibility. Holder told the council the firm’s refined estimate for the treatment facility alone is about $26 million to $27 million; adding the wells already contracted (about $1.8 million), piping/looping, decommissioning and other project items pushes the program toward $30 million.

The nut graf: the council focused on whether the design could be scaled or changed to reduce near-term cost without unduly shortening the time before the city must build additional elevated storage. The engineering team proposed three principal approaches: (1) continue with the current design but pare nonessential elements and value-engineering (small savings); (2) switch to steel gravity filters (moderate savings but still requires future storage sooner); or (3) pursue a compact pressure-filter design and pilot-test the new wells to verify treatment performance (largest potential savings, but with technical risk). Holder said a pressure-filter option could reduce project cost by roughly $5–7 million if the pilot demonstrates it will treat the local groundwater effectively.

Supporting details: Holder described the project’s process spaces (filtration, chemical storage, electrical/mechanical, operator lab), a proposed clearwell on the order of 600,000–750,000 gallons, and an ability to pump up to about 2,800 gpm in short bursts to defer an elevated storage tower. He said an elevated one-million-gallon tower typically costs in the $6 million–$8 million range. Holder recommended piloting a pressure-filter approach by running a small trailer-mounted pilot on the newly drilled wells for a few weeks once the wells are equipped; the pilot would test iron/manganese and organic-treatment challenges and help determine whether a compact pressure-filter plant is feasible.

City staff and council members raised finance and timing concerns. Mayor Lisa Leland and Council President Claudia Lacey asked for scenarios that show the effect on household water bills and debt service under different funding assumptions (with or without state/federal bonding support). Public works staff noted the city already pays roughly $1.1 million a year in current water debt service and that adding this project without external grants or bonding could substantially raise rates for the roughly 2,400 metered accounts. Councilmember Brian Delworth and staff discussed possible pilot timing, the degree of design work that could be paused, and whether the city could afford to delay the project while pursuing grants and piloting.

Outcome and next steps: The council directed staff to return to the Feb. 3 work session with narrowed cost comparisons (current design vs. gravity vs. pressure filter), estimated household bill impacts under alternative funding scenarios, and recommendations about piloting. Staff said they will pause parts of the detailed filter/clearwell design while the pilot and funding options are explored. No formal action (vote) was taken on the plant design at the work session.

Ending: City staff said they will refine numbers and outreach materials so the council and residents can assess tradeoffs between near-term cost savings and longer-term system reliability. The council scheduled further review at its Feb. 3 meeting and said members want clearer dollar-and-rate scenarios before committing to a final design.","At a Jan. 22 Minnetrista City Council work session, city engineers reported design progress and high cost estimates for a proposed water treatment plant and offered lower-cost design options and a pilot test. Councilmembers directed staff to return with refined cost scenarios and household-rate impacts at the Feb. 3 meeting.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6098767,"Council to place resolution on Feb. 3 consent agenda to clear a 1970s deferred sewer assessment",390,2797000,3187000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2822570-96cc77ecea046959779396f1041053b6&start=2797&end=3187","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2822570-96cc77ecea046959779396f1041053b6/thumbnail_2797000.jpg","/articles/6098767/Minnetrista-City/Hennepin-County/Minnesota/Council-to-place-resolution-on-Feb-3-consent-agenda-to-clear-a-1970s-deferred-sewer-assessment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6098767-ad6769ffa17fac1371365cc0a1bfbd98/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445395&Signature=BJKvQt9Mkoz3ZVgI7QDTg4qv4t-9jOLx3S91ROLlrkux4-2RjxTA8yU-M9wYgppwgxyXjPEZtWASuhVX7vutA1WEE4E8oWGlHkifYXfLRzgQv8Lz04P9FxJqPLhbrcEcz9PgbWZ4mauS8Br7-QKkMTE9aYomwzf1Mh9RXXiTujF1aAB9gToQlhGd4V3FlD4uVw-9n2lncYKdDYXhbxZUFpk2UjfaHOsm-8aCB1X1Z-b46whsnWlXq0kuu1xaGJ0r6-8DIimmnhbpOiV-1LCz4MIEiaEDT3g2XQD-GKP~RqYSRx4smBzUpvGOiX2sDl8uSQtpmemQfpEorgOL5XTwjg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During the Jan. 22 Minnetrista City Council work session staff reviewed one remaining deferred sanitary sewer assessment dating to the mid-1970s and asked the council for direction.

Staff and council recounted that the city and neighboring jurisdictions undertook sewer improvements in the 1970s and that some parcels were assessed on the expectation they would later be connected to the municipal sewer district (Musa). In the case discussed at the meeting, the property is outside the Musa district and cannot currently be connected; interest and fees have accumulated so the county record now shows a much larger outstanding balance than the original assessment.

Why it matters: staff said this is the last deferred sewer-assessment parcel on the city’s books and recommended staff prepare a resolution to zero the deferred amount so the county can remove the assessment. Council discussion noted fairness concerns if neighboring property owners paid their assessments and one parcel did not; members asked staff to prepare a simple resolution to clear the deferred assessment if the council agrees.

Outcome and next steps: staff said they will draft a resolution to present on the Feb. 3 regular meeting consent agenda asking the council to direct the county to remove the deferred assessment. Staff told the council they will notify the property owner and the county; councilmembers asked that the draft resolution be included on consent so it can be handled without separate debate if the council agrees. No binding forgiveness was recorded at the work session — the council instructed staff to prepare the resolution for formal action at the Feb. 3 meeting.

Ending: Staff and the council said they expect this to be handled as a routine consent item at the next meeting after the county and the property owner are notified.","Councilmembers reviewed a request to forgive a deferred sanitary sewer assessment dating to the mid-1970s for a parcel currently outside the city’s Musa sewer district. Staff and council agreed to present a resolution on the Feb. 3 regular meeting consent agenda to zero out the deferred assessment and notify Hennepin County.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6098772,"Council interviews applicants for parks and planning commissions; recommended appointments to be finalized Feb. 3",801,99000,900000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2822570-96cc77ecea046959779396f1041053b6&start=99&end=900","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2822570-96cc77ecea046959779396f1041053b6/thumbnail_99000.jpg","/articles/6098772/Minnetrista-City/Hennepin-County/Minnesota/Council-interviews-applicants-for-parks-and-planning-commissions-recommended-appointments-to-be-finalized-Feb-3","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6098772-65a4fe3fb7c04cf290fe14701238f313/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445395&Signature=JlJyHbty1sL2FX-XaEL8GYZq8ZHBCudDU9Rv1mKLUHHkIzLOvmuATAYeRtekNRpOQvqCawBokPLIfg6wD87G80I6LVIXu5QTGmTVj-njcTSs~4lJYachmpLPsCmcnvg4egiVBgiv0bew7rsj-XJ~2-4cGuZZE-kKbakfOFkYXTvC75336hNM9R7ffBTEvFbATSndKuKpuZ-SbQWfRO6lCgU~yWZf2GKkFOPOX~UacpNS3451Z7GO44nKiNMuWH2iVfqJpO1RkIP9XI-bHdh0wLZh6wLUr0ZGc22t1-h3Mh02qhoE48x9I8fl4pSf0sXy3f2Uf23uFVaiGcqw-2QQow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Jan. 22 Minnetrista City Council work session, councilmembers interviewed two residents who applied to serve on the city’s parks and planning commissions and discussed available seats and alternate positions.

Mayor Lisa Leland opened the interviews and asked each applicant to summarize relevant experience. One applicant said she and her family moved to Minnetrista in May 2024; she described executive experience in finance and nonprofit work and said parks were her primary interest. Another applicant, Vincent Gessen, described experience in architectural drafting and community engagement and said his coursework in site evaluation and landscape would inform planning work. Both applicants described community involvement and availability.

Context: staff told the council the parks commission currently has an immediate vacancy and lacks alternates; the planning commission has one open primary seat and at least one alternate opening. Councilmembers said it has been the city’s practice to reappoint sitting commissioners who apply and that the council would like to seat at least one of the applicants in a primary parks seat and one in a planning position. The council discussed the role of alternates (to fill vacancies at meetings and serve as training for future commissioners) and invited both applicants to attend the planning commission meeting on Jan. 27 to be sworn in if needed.

Outcome and next steps: Councilmembers indicated they would recommend appointing Lindsey Jamieson to the planning commission and said they would recommend appointing the other applicant to the parks commission, but they did not take a formal vote at the work session. Staff said the recommended appointments will be placed on the consent agenda for the regular council meeting on Feb. 3 for formal action and swearing-in.

Ending: Staff will notify applicants about seats and swearing-in logistics; the council encouraged new commissioners to attend special events and the state of the city address as part of their orientation.","At a Jan. 22 work session the council interviewed two applicants for parks and planning commissions and discussed alternate seats and swearing-in logistics. Councilmembers indicated recommendations for appointments and said formal confirmations will occur at the regular Feb. 3 meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council directs planning commission to review draft cannabis ordinances; buffers, hours and cultivation zones remain open

Council hears near-$30 million estimate for new Minnetrista water plant; asks staff for options and Feb. 3 follow-up

Council to place resolution on Feb. 3 consent agenda to clear a 1970s deferred sewer assessment

Council interviews applicants for parks and planning commissions; recommended appointments to be finalized Feb. 3