NISSWA – The Nisswa Recycling Survey garnered 417 responses, with nearly 80% indicating they want the recycling center to stay behind the fire station.
Citizens also want the City to promote selective collection.
The council had explored a different location – at the existing demolition gravel pit near the new sewage plant off Lower Roy Lake Road. The city’s public works committee agreed to explore options after residents at a public hearing in April objected to moving downtown recycling to the proposed new location.
City Council learned at its regular meeting on Tuesday, July 19 that an update and/or possible recommendation from the Public Works Committee may come in August for consideration by Council.
The expansion and relocation of the city’s recycling area has been discussed for nearly two years as the current site is showing its age, needs repairs, is undersized and interferes with fire station operations.
There are also security issues.
City Administrator Jenny Max spoke to the council about legislation that makes it legal in Minnesota to sell certain edibles and beverages infused with tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the cannabis ingredient extracted from hemp.
Max raised questions and potential impacts on the town and asked council for advice or ideas.
Specifically, she wondered about the possible impacts for policing/public safety, planning and zoning, and municipal liquor operations.
The questions relate to how enforcement procedures should be handled, regulations from a planning and zoning perspective, and whether these products should be allowed to be sold in municipal liquor stores.
“I don’t think the city can legally ban this activity outright (without strong legal justification), but we can regulate this activity in certain zoning districts and other licensing methods,” Max wrote in a service note.
City Council member Mark Froehle said he would like to ban the sale of this in the downtown district.
The Board’s consensus was to get feedback from businesses.
Police had 303 incident reports in June. The activity included 164 traffic violation warnings; 38 vehicle equipment violations; 20 citations for various offenses including speeds of 100 mph and 95 mph; and five traffic arrests, including fleeing in a motor vehicle, driving after cancellation contrary to public safety, two warrants and a DWI.
Other calls included 39 agency aides, 19 medicals, seven property damage crashes, two personal injury crashes and three thefts.
Firefighters received 51 calls in June, including 41 calls to emergency medical services, three grass fires, three alarms, a car accident, a tree in the power line, a vehicle fire and cleaning up after a storm where 19 firefighters worked for two hours.
In other cases on July 19, counsel:
- Met an hour before the regular meeting for a discussion on the 2023 budget.
- Accepted a $27,000 donation from the Nisswa Lions Club for an eight-person capacity lifeboat for the Nisswa Fire Department. The Nisswa Fire Chief said Brainerd and Crosslake are the only towns in the area with a rescue boat.
The board heard from Shawn Hansen, of the Nisswa Lions Club, who said that between July 2021 and June 2022, the club donated more than $230,000 to communities.
- Heard by Jon Lubke, mayor of Jenkins for nearly 15 years and candidate for Crow Wing County District 2 Commissioner.
- Moved City Planner Bethany Soderlund from probationary status and approved a salary adjustment effective August 1. Soderlund began work on January 31.
- Nisswa Election Judge salary increased to $15 per hour from $12 per hour in 2020.
- Adopted a proposal to amend the Ordinance following updated brewery packaging and distribution legislation. The board first held a public hearing on the amendment, where no one commented.
The new legislation allows for the expansion of brewer’s alcohol licenses and concerns off-sale brewhouse licenses for growlers and non-growlers.
Roundhouse Brewery requested the change.
- Preliminary pad approval for Nisswa Crossings, a proposed development of 22 single-family residential construction sites on 15.7 acres off County Road 18 that would be serviced by a shared private water system and a sewage system. municipal sewer.
Thomas Dehn is the applicant and Terra Vista Developers, Inc. is the owner.
The city’s planning commission previously approved a conditional use permit for a planned unit development and recommended approval of the preliminary plan.
Regarding concerns about Pine Haven Road, council consensus was that construction trucks should use County Road 18.
Find recordings of Nisswa City Council meetings on the city’s YouTube channel.
Nancy Vogt, editor, can be reached at 218-855-5877 or
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