County Board looks at zoning, tourism matters

During their May 5 meeting, county board members voted down a proposed change to the county’s Universal Development Code (UDC) whose terms had been prompted by the legalization of marijuana and a new state law allowing “cannabis events” up to four days in duration.

 

As discussion on the topic began, planning and zoning administrator Tina Wilson explained that, under current language, permits are required only if an event has an anticipated crowd of 1,000 or more, and lasts eight hours or longer. Terms also exempt school events, places of worship, and certain other non-profit organizations from needing a permit, regardless of the size of their gathering.

 

The proposed change removed the exemptions and set the threshold for requiring a permit at 500 or more people for any length of time.

 

Wilson commented the proposed modifications had been drafted because “cannabis changes the landscape.” For one, state laws governing cannabis events include stipulations having to do with public safety, including traffic control, access to water and restroom facilities, parking, and security, among others. It would be the county’s duty to ensure those stipulations would be met.

 

Though there is no fee for an event permit, the permitting process requires applicants to submit information pertaining to the listed public safety matters, allowing county staff to review them and give input. Since permits are considered at public meetings held by agencies which meet only once or twice a month, getting approval for a permit could lengthen the planning process by days or weeks.

 

The change to a decreased crowd size and the removal of exemptions for many non-profit organizations were stumbling blocks for commissioners as the new language was considered.

 

Commissioners named events including ice cream socials, cross country competitions, and even funerals which might require a permit under the new criteria.

 

After a lengthy discussion on the topic, the matter was taken to a vote in which three of the five commissioners voted against the changed language. The question of what criteria would be acceptable was remanded to the planning and zoning subcommittee with the expectation that a changed proposal will be presented at a future meeting.

 

Also on May 5, Waseca County Engineer and Public Works Director Jim Kollar was appointed to remain the head of public works for a period of 5 years. Commissioners expressed gratitude for Kollar’s expertise in his field, his close attention to finances, and his dedication to maintaining a high-quality road system.

 

Commissioners also heard from Waseca High School social studies teacher John Hanson regarding the Explore Waseca County Tours application available online. The app, which provides information and narrated tours regarding sites and locations of interest all around the county, shares details about communities, parks, dining, shopping and more.

 

Hanson said that, thanks to tours and information assembled by his students, the many quality features of the app, and the support of city and county agencies, the app is “as good as it gets” in terms of collaboration and intercommunication.

 

In addition to providing visitors and tourists with useful information, the app tracks statistics which show how much usage is taking place. He shared that, in the prior 20 days, about 500 users had logged in. Also recorded are the elements of the site they visited, the “screens” they used and the amount of time they are logged in.

 

In another item of business, a conditional use permit (CUP) was approved to allow a renter to grow cannabis on property south of Waseca along Highway 13 leased by commissioner Brian Harguth. Because it dealt with him, Harguth recused himself both from the discussion of the CUP and from the vote on its approval.

 

The parcel of land is more than 50 acres in size; the permit allows up to 22.5 acres to be used in growing cannabis. According to state law, outdoor cannabis fields must have security lighting, must be enclosed within a locked fence, and must keep a record of who comes and goes at the property.

 

Another article in this edition of the Pioneer shares additional information about this topic.