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SLEEPY EYE -- The Sleepy Eye City Council heard an update on cannabis regulations from city manager Bob Elston Tuesday.
"We have to allow at least one cannabis license," Elston said. "We have to protect our young people. We want to do proper retailing. No sales to those under age 21 or in a liquor store. It'll place a burden on law enforcement."
Police Chief Matt Andres said police will do cannabis (sales) compliance checks.
Last October, the city council unanimously approved an interim ordinance placing a one-year moratorium on cannabis sales. The moratorium was imposed to prohibit any business, person or entity from offering to sell cannabis products to the public within city boundaries.
Edible cannabis products became lawful to sell for the first time in Minnesota July 1, 2022.
"Some of this surprises me. We need to protect kids in our community. We don't want vending machines," Elston last October during a city council discussion of cannabis use and its public health effects.
The adult-use cannabis bill passed the Minnesota House and Senate floors April 24, 2023 and was assigned a conference committee to negotiate differences before coming back to each chamber, according to the League of Minnesota Cities (LMC).
Senate File 73 contains stronger local zoning authority, local limits on retailers and revenue sharing to provide local government funding, provisions not included in House File 100, the LMC reported.
Both bills have a local registration process for certain cannabis businesses that provide a critical enforcement tool for local governments and the authority to conduct compliance checks.
Potential parts of a local cannabis ordinance includes state law that requires THC product retailers to check purchaser identification to verify they are at least 21 years old, comply with certain packaging and labeling requirements to protect children and youth and meet potency and serving size requirements.
Elston said local cannibis regulations will be discussed further at upcoming city council committee meetings.
The city council unanimously approved:
• A $10,000 donation for video cameras to be placed city parks, plus $300 from the General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC) for the library, $270 for a library oak tree by Elayne Meinert in memory of Dean Meinert, $250 to Sleepy Eye Ambulance and police from Dr. and Sharon Rubey, motion by Councilor Doug Pelzel, seconded by Gary Windschitl.
Police chief Matt Andres said the donation from the Sleepy Eye Servicemen's Club Charitable Gambling account would be used to purchase secure, web-based video cameras in city parks that only police can access.
"We've been getting many donations for this project that will cost about $20,000 for 10 cameras with five-year leases," said Andres. "With fiber connectivity, we'd like to put three cameras in Sportsman's and Allison Parks, a couple at the baseball park and Prairieview (softball) parks this month."
Andres said future plans are to put cameras in other parks including Veteran's Park on Main Street.
"The entire project is funded by donations. Not a dime of taxpayer money," said Andres.
"We had some park vandalism last year. This is a way to keep parks safe for families and help keep vandalism away."