Council roundup: cannabis ordinance hearing set; several registrations, licenses and donations approved

The Willmar City Council handled multiple regulatory and routine matters in a single evening: it introduced an ordinance and scheduled a public hearing to align city code with new state cannabis licensing, approved a procedure to fill an open cannabis retail registration, approved a new low-potency hemp edible retailer registration, granted a liquor license to Spurs Grill and accepted a series of community donations.

City Clerk Renee Larson told the council that the state moved cannabis licensing from Minnesota Statute 151.72 to statute 342 and that the city's THC-license ordinance must be repealed and reintroduced under the new statutory framework; the council voted 7-0 to introduce the ordinance and call for a public hearing. Larson reported Mary Jane's Buds withdrew its local retail registration; staff proposed a resolution to offer openings to applicants on the wait list in priority order. The council approved that resolution (6-1).

Council approved a local registration for Cobra Corp to sell low-potency hemp edibles (7-0) after the company completed state background checks and paid required fees where applicable. The council also approved a full on-sale liquor license and Sunday liquor license for Spurs Grill & Bar; staff said Spurs had relinquished a prior license but paid prorated fees on reapplication (motion passed 7-0). A consolidated donations resolution listing multiple donors and amounts for community events and programs was approved as well (7-0).

Finally, staff scheduled a joint work session with the municipal utilities commission for April 13 at 1 p.m. at Heritage Bank and the council approved the scheduling (7-0). The meeting recessed into a closed session under Minnesota statute for a legal matter at the end of the evening.