Cannabis added to tobacco ordinance

The monthly Waldorf city council meeting was rescheduled from Monday, Oct. 14 to Tuesday, Oct. 15 because of Indigenous Peoples Day. Mayor Rob Wilkening, who attended the meeting remotely from the Philippines, said this was the first time ever the mayor of Waldorf was conducting the city council meeting from out of the country.

 

Council members voted to pass “Ordinance 87,” which will simplify the steps for making changes to city fees and fee schedules. Waldorf will include cannabis in its tobacco ordinance. This will make it unlawful to smoke tobacco products or use cannabis in any form near schools. It will also make cannabis use illegal in certain public places, including within 25 feet of Veterans Park.

 

Out of $102,941.81 in Rural Development grant money, $4,320 was used for Holtmeier snorkels, $19,486.84 for GM Contracting to install a grinder, $47,264 for Northwestern Power Equipment Co. (grinder), $11,890 for Northwestern Power Equipment Co. (agitator) and $2,300 for Concrete for St. John’s Catholic church, leaving $17,680 remaining.

 

For Parks and Recreation, it was approved to open a bank account for the parks and recreation department and transfer the allotted $11,285 earmarked for the park. A city resident had sent photos indicating a deteriorating wooden fence on the playground in need of repair.

 

Acting as the planning commission, the Waldorf city council divided the single lot encompassing St. John's Catholic Church and its parsonage into two separate properties. This action makes it possible for the church to sell the lot with the home sometime in the future.

 

Along the same vein, Jennifer Miller, who owns a duplex located at 400 Fourth Avenue North, requested that the two dwellings be zoned as two properties, with the addresses of 400 and 402 Fourth Avenue North. Her request was not granted; Mayor Wilkening suggested that creating separate properties from the two buildings might require that a firewall be added between the two dwellings, and that a survey be conducted to determine property lines.  

Ranae Groskreutz has already rented the community center for three days, November 13 to 15, and has already paid full price. She wondered if, since she is a tax-free entity, she can receive a discount. It was decided that for the last day she would pay half price.

 

The price of Crystal Valley propane has remained steady at $1.54/gallon, same as last year. Last year Waldorf prepaid for 3,000 gallons, of which 481 remain. Unless the price changes, council members plan to address this issue next meeting.

 

The council approved hiring Gordy’s Total Tree service of New Richland to remove two stumps from the park; Gordy’s submitted a bid of $533 for the work. FEMA will not cover this expense, nor will insurance; this will be a Waldorf City cost.