BLUE EARTH– The Blue Earth City Council has spent time at several work sessions working on a new Cannabis Ordinance, and Monday night was no different.

The work sessions are held for a half hour before the regular meeting starts at 5 p.m.

At the work session on Monday city administrator Mary Athey went through the latest version of the proposed ordinance, noting changes that had been made due to input from the council at its previous work sessions.

There were also a few decisions which had to yet be made, including whether compliance checks on cannabis retail businesses would be required, buffer distances between businesses and schools, parks and daycares, as well as how many retail businesses would be allowed.

The council decided on allowing just one cannabis retail business, other than if the city operates one out of the municipal liquor store.

Other items included hours of operation, limited areas a business could be located and other items.

The original sample ordinance was provided by the state’s new Office of Cannabis Management. Businesses will first apply to the State OCM for a license, and the state will then send the application to local governments to see if they comply with local ordinances.

“I will have a final version of this ordinance prepared for the next council meeting,” Athey told the council. “That will be a first reading of the ordinance, with the second reading at the second meeting in December.”

The council could then adopt the new ordinance.

At the regular meeting a question of what to do about residents on Nicollet Street having water problems became a contentious issue.

Two homes on the street have been having to run sump pumps almost continuously for months. They have said they never had this issue until a street and utility project was done on Nicollet Street three years ago.

City engineer Ben Rosol said they had investigated and the problem was not due to a broken main, but was excess groundwater building up.

A possible solution was to build a new pipe line from the houses to a drainage area to the west. Cost of the project was estimated to be $75,000.

Mayor Rick Scholtes spoke against the plan, saying it would create a precedence for future issues.

In the end the council voted to proceed with the work and add the cost to next year’s street/utility project.

In other business at the meeting, the council:

— Looked over a revised fee schedule for 2025 that will be voted on at the next meeting.

— Heard an update on a body worn camera audit that is done every two years,

— Approved a request from two council members to attend a League of Minnesota Cities training session.

— Went into closed session to discuss the union contract for law enforcement officers. When they came out of closed session the council voted to accept the new contract which included a three percent increase in pay for each of the next three years.