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Montrose raises concerns about Wright County cannabis enforcement JPA; council considers park smoking prohibition
Summary
City staff warned a Wright County JPA on cannabis enforcement, as written, could apply county buffer rules to cities and override local zoning; council asked staff to seek language that preserves Montrose's 400‑foot school buffer and discussed drafting an ordinance to ban smoking in parks.
City staff briefed the council on a memorandum about a Wright County joint powers agreement (JPA) for cannabis enforcement and registration. Staff said a potential problem in the current draft is that the county zoning and buffer zones "would apply to the city even if the city is more restrictive," and noted the city is pursuing a 400‑foot buffer from schools.
Council members expressed concern that the county's 1,000‑foot recommendation could effectively prohibit cannabis businesses in most of town. Staff said the contract contains a 30‑day opt‑out but warned that declining the JPA would require the city to manage enforcement and registration independently. Separately, planning staff asked whether the council wanted a city ordinance to prohibit smoking (tobacco and cannabis) in parks; council members generally favored a parks smoking ban while limiting citywide property restrictions to avoid unintended enforcement issues at the community center.
