Zoning administrator Joe Kolbok reports permit surge, floodplain and cannabis ordinance updates

Joe Kolbok, Wabasha County zoning administrator, told the county board the planning and zoning office has seen a rise in land-use activity and recent regulatory work that affects developers and property owners.

Kolbok said his five-person department enforces a range of regulations including the zoning, subdivision and SSTS ordinances, a solar-energy ordinance, setback and solid-waste rules, the county's cannabis ordinance and the new floodplain regulations adopted in July following FEMA map updates. He said the county completed an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) process for a regulatory filing and adopted a revised subdivision ordinance "to relieve the burden on land owners" and speed up approvals.

Kolbok told the board the office adopted a new permitting system, Iwerks, in November '25 and "we have processed over 314 permits using it," a change he said will improve efficiency and lower costs. He reported 26 conditional-use permit applications in the past 12 months, up from 16 the prior year, and 30 variance requests compared with 20 previously. Kolbok said the office handled 14 nuisance complaints in the last year and had resolved all but one, which he expected to resolve within the week.

On funding and assistance programs, Kolbok described the county's SSTS Low Income Grant Program, which the county applied for in '24, received in '25, and continues to pursue: "They allow owners, depending on income level, to get as much as $15,000 as part of that cost share." He said two grants had been completed in the last 12 months and one was in the pipeline.

Kolbok closed by noting the county is drafting a ten-year solid-waste plan required by the state and is considering updates to the solid-waste ordinance to clarify licensing, fees and enforcement. He invited questions; the board had none at the time.