Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council debates buffer distances and hours for draft cannabis ordinance; county delegation considered
Summary
Staff shared sample ordinances and GIS buffer maps; the school board recommended a 200-foot buffer and councilors discussed 100/200/500-foot options and hours of operation. Staff proposed the first ordinance reading in November to meet scheduling requirements for two readings and adoption.
City staff presented draft language and GIS maps for a municipal cannabis ordinance and led a discussion on buffer distances from schools and other sensitive uses, hours of operation, and whether to delegate regulatory authority to Otter Tail County.
School-board representatives told the council they were more comfortable with a 200-foot buffer from school property; staff said a 200-foot buffer would push some downtown parcels out of availability and that a 100-foot buffer would be less restrictive. Staff shared that Otter Tail County’s draft includes larger default buffers (up to 1,000 feet in some categories and 500 feet for daycares and playgrounds), which some councilors described as extreme for a small city.
Councilors also discussed hours of operation. One councilor said mirroring the city’s liquor off-sale hours (an earlier planning-commission suggestion) could be legally defensible and practical, while others urged caution about unnecessarily restricting legal business operations. Staff said the timeline calls for a first reading of an ordinance in November with a goal of adopting by December if the council follows the typical two-reading process.
Councilors asked staff to solicit additional feedback from neighboring jurisdictions and county officials to determine whether Blackduck should delegate ordinance authority to the county, adopt a city-specific ordinance, or adopt modified buffers that balance school concerns and downtown economic vitality.
No ordinance reading or vote occurred at the session; staff will provide revised maps and ordinance language for council consideration at future meetings.
