BLUE EARTH– The Faribault County Board of Commissioners met for their regular meeting on Tuesday and one of their items of business was to hold a public hearing concerning a proposed cannabis business.

“Betty Berg and Sonny Berg are requesting a CUP (Conditional Use Permit) for a cannabis micro-business with a retail operations endorsement,” Planning and Zoning administrator Sara Hauskins said. “Applicant Sonny Berg has obtained preliminary approval from the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). This notice does not convey license approval. Berg is not authorized to conduct any activities for any license type until final approval from OCM.”

Hauskins went on to say that with his preliminary license approval, Berg will have 18 months to obtain all local government approvals and OCM compliance checks.

“He will then have to submit final documents and application materials to OCM for their review process,” Hauskins noted. “There was no public comment at the Planning Commission meeting and they recommended approving the CUP with conditions.”

Those conditions include complying with Minnesota cannabis laws and regulations, complying with the Faribault County Cannabis Ordinance, applying for and being granted a zoning permit prior to any construction and having a proper septic system installed along with proper maintenance of the system.

The proposed site of the business is in Section 7 of Seely Township, about two miles west of Bricelyn.

“Does OCM do field checks?” commissioner Tom Loveall asked.

Yes was the answer he received.

“OCM is tough and will regulate it,” sheriff Scott Adams, who was at the meeting, said. “We follow the law and as long as it meets State guidelines we will not have a problem with it.”

The board unanimously approved the CUP.

In other business:

— The board approved the low price bid from Yeager Implement, in the amount of $9,900 for a dump trailer to be used by the Sentence to Serve (STS) program. The price includes a protective undercoating.

— Approval was also given to purchase an enclosed trailer the state had available from the STS program. The trailer was valued at $3,500 but a bid of $1,000 by the county was accepted by the state.

— The board approved the training request of county assessor Brady Rauenhorst and GIS coordinator Brandee Douglas. Rauenhorst will be attending a block course while Douglas will be obtaining software training.