I think he does he come out and point at us or do I just start? >> Okay. All right. I would like to call the meeting of the planning commission to order. Sarah, could you please take role? >> Commissioner Kelly >> here. >> Yip >> present.
>> Sigfreed >> here. Chamberlain >> here. And um Commissioner Oaks is absent this evening. >> All right. Next on the agenda is approval of the minutes. Is there any discussion on the September 3rd, 2025
regular meeting minutes? If not, is there a motion to approve? >> I wasn't here, so I'm going to abstain. >> Okay. I will move to approve the minutes. >> I'll second. >> All right. All those in favor say I. I.
All those opposed. Motion carries. [snorts] Okay. Next is the public hearing to consider a conditional use permit for a retail cannabis business at 2433rd
Street North. Submitted by applicant Brandon Van Aston. Hope I pronounced that correctly. My de dealer LLC. Please, uh, Amanda Johnson, city
attorney, will present this item. [laughter] >> It's a puzzle. I think this is one. >> Pick one. I feel like it's the right one. >> I printed Harrison, can we get the podium
connected to the televisions, please? >> No worries. A moment's pause for technical difficulties. Do I need to do something on my end aside from just plug it in? [clears throat] No. [snorts]
Oh, did I? Okay, [snorts] >> I did need to do something. [laughter] >> Oh, >> there you go. >> There we go. All right, [clears throat] >> good. Good evening, commission members. Uh we
will be talking about the CUP application for a retail cannabis location at 2433rd Street. Just a quick agenda. We'll do a quick review of the cannabis zoning code because we did just recently make a
couple amendments to that. So just reminding me reminding you what we did, a summary of the application, the zoning analysis, and then at that time u putting it back to the commission to hold the public hearing to have a discussion and then make a recommendation for council.
So just as a reminder in the B2 and industrial zoning districts, those are the two districts in the city where we permit uh cannabis uses. Permitted cannabis uses are uh temporary cannabis events and then the hemp low potency
edible retailers and edible retail sales. In the B2 they are permitted um and then in the industry they are permitted as well uh permitted with a certificate of compliance. Conditional cannabis uses in B2 are the
sale of cannabis products, growing, cultivating, manufacturing, uh those types of uses are not permitted in the B2 zoning district, but they are permitted in the conditional, excuse me, in the industrial district as a conditional use.
So, just a reminder to where we're sitting in terms of what uses are allowed in what zoning districts. Uh the city also has one single registration to sell cannabis. So what that means is regardless of the type of business license that you may have from
OCM, whether that's a cannabis retailer license, a micro business, or a mezzo business, uh we allow one that actually sells cannabis products within the city. The way that our ordinance is set up right now is it's processed as a first come first serve. Um [snorts] and it can
go to either a retailer, micro, or mezo business. Moving to the property uh that we're talking about today, that's 2433rd Street. That is zoned B2. It is um on your screen you can kind of see it's the red circle um excuse me, the black
circle around the red the red squares. Um it is surrounded by a mix of commercial and residential land uses and the B2 zoning district is designated and intended to be an intense multifunctional commercial uh district.
My dealer LLC is the applicant and they are looking um to open a cannabis retail dispensary, no growing, no manufacturing in the currently the building that's just about right across the street. Um they have obtained a previous excuse me
a preliminary license from OCM. Their retail buildout focuses primarily on security enhancements and odor mitigation. They have agreed in their uh application that they will follow city code related to signage. They are proposing operating hours of 10:00 a.m.
to 8:00 p.m. They estimate approximately 10 employees for this business with at least two employees on site during business hours and parking um is in the rear of the building. Uh this is the proposed layout for the
interior of the property. Cannabis businesses under state law have a variety of regulations that they need to follow regarding safety. Specifically, that they need to have a secured entrance location, sort of a a preliminary stopping point where
individuals need to provide a form of ID. They are verified and then they get to go into the second space where actual cannabis product exists. So moving to the zoning analysis. Um the state issues all zoning licenses. So our
review is limited to the following. We need to confirm that they are in compliance with our zoning ordinance. Uh in this case the sale of cannabis flour and products is a conditional use in the B2. So it is a permitted use but we can attach reasonable conditions to it. we
need to confirm that they are in compliance with the city's regulations for cannabis businesses. Uh so that includes just general regulations for businesses as well as some specific regulations that we have in code uh that are unique to cannabis businesses. I'll talk about those in a moment. We need to
confirm that the business has a valid state license. Right now, the applicant currently has a pre-lic. um he's not going to be able to get a full license until he has received city zoning approval and registration approval and then they issue sort of the final final license.
Um and we also need to conduct a preliminary site inspection to confirm compliance with city code. Moving to those specific cannabis uh provisions that I mentioned. Uh under our city code, we are uh cannabis businesses are allowed to operate
between 10:00 a.m. and 10 p.m. As previously mentioned, the can the applicant is proposing 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. So, he's within the hours less than um it requires that no noise uh carries beyond the lot. Um except for normal car and pedestrian activity,
there isn't anything about retail business that suggests that there would be um noise. that's more related to, you know, manufacturing or or cultivating behav um activities. Uh odor. The premises need to be ventilated so that the odor is not detected by a person
with a normal sense of smell at the exterior of the property or at any adjoining use. Um at this point, based on the application narrative, we don't have a concern that there is going to be an odor issue based on the odor mitigation
plan that he has. Um outdoor use. This all of these uses need to be conducted in store indoors with no outdoor storage. There's no proposed outdoor storage here. Signs, they need to follow the sign code. In addition, both under state law
and under our ordinance, there's limitations to uh what can be on their signage. For example, state law doesn't want you having like the cannabis flower or um things like that on your sign. The statement from the applicant is that the
signage will comply with with all required provisions. [snorts] And then security bars, gates, or grills are prohibited on the exterior of the building. So if you recall it, there's some windows. Those can't have the the grates over them.
So staff's findings in this particular situation are that the proposed hours of operation meet our parameters. As mentioned before, uh the building upgrades includes the installation of a carbon filtration system to eliminate the odors. Um a restricted access vault for in inventory storage and security
doors and locks. Um the existing gravel parking lot is at this point we believe it's adequately sized to facilitate uh the amount of of traffic that we think this business is going to create. and we recommend approval uh with
conditions in your packet on page three and four. There are 16 conditions. I will not go through all of them here unless you want me to because I'm guessing you've already read them. [clears throat] And so I am available for questions. The applicant is obviously here tonight. He is also available for questions.
Otherwise, the actions of the planning commission are to open a public hearing. If there's no comment, close the public hearing. Commission can discuss and then make a recommendation to the council. [snorts and clears throat] All right. Uh I think I open the public
hearing at this point and the com the commissioners can ask questions in a little bit. I would like to open the public hearing and invite anyone wishing to comment to come forward to the podium. Please state your name and street address for the record.
>> All right. Um I am going to move to close the public hearing having no comments >> and one point of order your honor. Um the council or excuse me the city did receive two written comments. Those are in your packet and the DAS and so we recognize those um public comments. We
do not need to read them in the record. They are part of the record officially. All >> right. Okay, I move. Thank you. I move to close the public hearing. Is there a second? Thank you. Um, all those in favor say I.
>> I. >> I. All those opposed. Motion carries. Okay. At this time, I would like to entertain discussion or questions from the planning commission. Um, I just had a question for Amanda.
I You didn't say this in the outdoor use, but about this cannabis event. It says is exempt from this standard. >> What does that mean? Like if they're doing something. So the state allows you
to get a special license to hold a cannabis event and so we recognize that that is a separate thing and so there's no real way to have a cannabis event without it having some portion of it outdoors and so that would be exempt. The maximum that you can have a cannabis
event for is 4 days. >> So >> and I mean that's going to have to be a separate like that's not anything we're talking about. That's se completely separate. That would require a separate approval and go through a separate process. >> Okay. Okay. Um I have a question first uh
to Amanda and then it will be to you as well. So, the letter we received [clears throat] um on Friday, November 14th talks about concerns about parking
on First Avenue uh and second a Second Street North. um and worries about how that parking
I'm not even exact basically like people hanging around uh what are what are the condition what are the limits around both if there are questions of parking
it I'm assuming this is behind the building >> I see your app. Does this have to road? No. >> Um and uh about people hanging around.
>> Uh yes, your honor. Uh commission. So there's three conditions, three of the the 16 conditions discuss parking specifically. 9, 10, and 11. So nine requires that the applicant submit a site plan to um to correctly service
andor stripe uh the existing gravel parking lot that's back there. So basically bring it up um and areas improved not that are not improved by concrete or asphalt need to be sided to you know give it to to make it more
aesthetically pleasing. Um the parking lot improvements are subject to review by obviously the wershed. And then the the third um condition is that a 6-ft fence needs to be erected on the south property line um to help sort
of create a division, a separation between the the rear yards um there in the back. >> Right. Thank you. That's helpful. Um, and maybe the police can address this. I'm not sure if you are are here to
speak at all, but um, what happens if people are buying cannabis products and then hanging out outside the business? What happens then? [snorts] >> Oh, try and address the best I can. [laughter]
>> Or what h also I have that for you. What happens then? Well, and it would probably be something in conjunction. You know, I I assume the owner is not going to want people just hanging outside and causing a disturbance in the neighborhood. So, we would handle like we would any other call for service. You know, using cannabis and driving a
vehicle are still il illegal. So, we would address those issues as well. So, >> so if people [clears throat] are hanging out in front of the store using cannabis products, that is legal, but just not
congregate. I I mean, I understand, but using cannabis products is legal. You just still can't drive, correct, >> under the influence. But, you know, I think from these letters that I saw and as a citizen of Bayport, I'm also
concerned about people hanging out on our main street with all the other businesses that we support smoking pot. >> I have those same concerns as well, >> if I may, your honor. So, it's not legal for them to be consuming the cannabis in
a public like on the public street. They can't do it. They can do it's they can do it in in private areas and they can do it in an area where they have permission from the property owner, but they're not allowed to do it in public areas. >> Okay. >> The statute is very difficult to enforce in the way
that it was written. It was written that it's not it's it wouldn't be easy for an officer to issue a citation based that off of that. And so if this is something that is a a concern to the planning commission and the and the council, we can address that by adding an ordinance that makes it crystal clear what the law
says. [snorts] I have [clears throat] done that in a few other cities just because it's an easier ordinance to issue a citation off of. Um but the law is clear you can't they can't be consuming it in in public. >> All right. Thank you. >> Or in front of children. I mean there's definitely some like you know Yeah.
>> There's some parameters around it. >> Yeah. Um, if you could address in your business plan, I know you talked some about this, but yeah. How do you plan on addressing? >> So, consumption of cannabis is not allowed on my site. Like, as part of my
retail license, consumption is not allowed. So, people in the parking lot out back, for example, they are not by OCM regulation allowed to consume cannabis on my property. Now, if I have an event license, that's different, but
that's a one time like you have a onetime event. >> Yeah. >> Um >> as it relates to consumption on public streets, I think that's a city by city thing. Often times it follows the same rules as tobacco. So like the distance
from the doors and all of that, but in Bayport, I'm not familiar with the smoking in public regulations. Typically, you're not going to have people consuming cannabis outside of the dispensary. One,
because it's not allowed, but two, it's just not the place to consume cannabis. Like, it's not a very appealing place. Um, what's more likely to be a problem area is down by the river if there's a nice trail or outside of the bars. Like,
that is realistically where, >> okay, >> you you may run into [snorts] issues. But people are consuming cannabis today at those same bars. They're just going to be sourcing it from from a different location. >> All right. Thank you very much. Anybody
else have questions? I probably have more as well. >> Yeah, I have. So, Brandon, do you have other um businesses in different cities? >> Um I I do. They're all in the startup
phase much like this. Okay. >> Um I have one in Wobbashaw. >> Okay. >> So just south of here. >> So none that are going. I just I just wanted to know what um like people inside. I know there's security and you
go in one door and then go in the next door like is I assume you have your have to follow certain rules like how many how many people can be in these certain spaces. >> You know what I'm more fire code.
>> Okay. It's not like with you like you can have 10 people in there >> buying stuff. >> I didn't know if that was >> Yeah. So that that number is not something that I've come up with yet, but that would be my understanding is
driven from fire code more than anything. >> Okay. And then internal it's a balance between fire code and if fire code is too loose, it would be internal security that would kind of drive that restriction. And so then people in whatever the
waiting area, the curator, the buying area, I mean you it's not a hangout area. >> No, no, none of it is. You want people in and out. Okay. >> Like >> you want to clear up the parking spots. You want to
>> just a business standpoint, you don't want people lingering. Okay. >> There is no ping pong table or whatever. >> Yeah. Well, that's I mean that's what I mean. Like if it's like um [laughter] cuz you're saying you don't want them doing this in there either, but I'm like then is there going to be people,
>> you know, if it was super busy then people would be sitting outside, but you're saying they >> aren't supposed to be smoking that right in the parking lot waiting to get in. You know what I mean? I'm just thinking of the neighbors. >> Yeah. So yeah, for one, nobody's consuming
cannabis inside or out. Um the security checkpoint is [snorts] there to one check IDs twice. So you're you're getting checked at the door before you even get into the sales floor. Then you're getting checked again when you
[clears throat] check out. >> Um so that's much more strict than like a liquor store for example. >> Yeah. >> But that security checkpoint, it acts as a security block where people can't just rush in >> Yeah. >> in bulk. Um, but it also acts as a
uh an an area where you're not going to have a line out the door because there's a waiting area inside before the sales floor. So, you're waiting for your sale >> um in inside the building, not outside. >> Yeah, that's what I was wondering. Are
there uh businesses like yours that I I know the licenses just got issued. So right now there are no businesses like yours working in Minnesota. >> There actually are. >> There are [clears throat] Okay. Can you give us
>> some examples? >> Yeah, there are two medical legacy me uh medical operators. They've been operating since 2014. >> They both have eight stores. Um I am currently the corporate controller for one of those and I am
leaving that role to do my own entrepreneurial venture. So I have experience with them >> over the last 5 years and we operate in uh I believe it's six different states. Um, and then prior to that I was a CPA,
external consultant for Bridge West, which is another Minnesota company, but they do external uh, accounting, tax, CFO, and, uh, license application work for other people across the nation. So, I have experience with a lot of
different markets in a lot of different areas, uh, including Minnesota. Um, so currently there are only the medical distributors because nobody has got their business up
and running because the light preliminary licenses were just issued. Is that right? >> Um, no. So the the the 16 medical [clears throat] operators all converted to do both adult use and medical
>> and that happened a month and a half ago about. We also have the tribes. The tribes have special rights and can open stores without especially on reservation. They can open stores without OCM uh involvement. Okay. Okay.
>> But the tribes are also open up opening up stores off reservation. And then there are a small handful of uh other retailers that are they either have a micro license or a retail license that do have some stores open across
mainly in the metro uh area, but it's a very small handful. And because me as a retailer, I'm in this situation right now, so are a lot of the growers. So, there is an inventory shortage right now. Like, there's not there's not going
to be good supply on the market until uh October, September, October next year, but there are some limited sources including the medical operators and the and the tribes.
Um what is your plan for uh when the product is delivered to your store? How what kind of security measures do you have around that? >> Yeah. So everywhere on the property where cannabis inventory can be even if
it's not always there, wherever it can be, uh has to be under full 24/7 surveillance. So, there's a camera pointing at every location, including the delivery area, which is in the back. >> Okay. >> Um, [clears throat] at times of
delivery, it's best to have extra staff there. And you can stage these deliver like you don't deliver at 100 p.m. every other day and create a theme that somebody could catch up on. But the the
delivery is one of the riskier uh times because you're not behind multiple layers of security within the store. >> I have a question. >> Oh, please. >> Um, so you said there's about like two
employees on site at all times. At least two at a minimum. >> Okay. >> Uh, is essentially like the front door person that's checking IDs and stuff. Are they kind of controlling like how many people are going into the back and kind of making sure it's not crowded back there kind of thing. Is that
>> exactly? Yeah. >> And then the other person is kind of like the cashier stock person or making sure >> things are going okay in the back. Okay. >> That those are the bare minimum. >> Yeah. >> That's like >> you would like three or more. Yeah.
>> That that's not the goal. The goal is to have >> five or more employees in there. But um yeah, >> and then uh if it does get busy in the store and you have, you know, people waiting to to get into the back or
whatever, do they wait inside then? >> Yeah, they wait inside this the security area, >> you know, lined up out the door or something like that. Okay. >> Right. I would love for a grand opening [laughter] around the block, but that's just not >> the way Minnesota program.
[clears throat] That's just not >> likely going to happen. And it's a a very slow roll out. There's no inventory really at launch. Um so it's it's going to be it's a little bit anti- climatic really.
>> Uh what do you do if uh under 18y old or is it a 21? I don't even >> 21 year old tries to come in. >> Yeah. They're just denied at the very first checkpoint. It's yeah, that simple. I mean, I don't
think there's any offense that they're really committing there. They're just testing me. [laughter] >> But yeah, they're they're asked to leave immediately and they're obviously not going through the second door. >> Mhm. [snorts] >> Are you planning at [clears throat] all
to do like delivery service type stuff too? Would that be a different >> process? Sorry, two different questions. That's that's a different license. Okay. >> It is a license that I hold. >> Um
>> and the the way delivery works, like I could have my delivery business be in St. Paul headquartered. The the way a delivery business works, all it does is it goes to dispensaries anywhere and it picks up product and it delivers it to the customer. the the
retailer that is the dispensary that is the the entity making the sale to the customer. The delivery license is purely a take from point A to point B. >> You're bas Yeah. But like [laughter]
way less efficient and way more restrictions and all [snorts] of that. But it's the the retailer is the one making the sale. So the delivery business, like I could have a delivery business, not me, come and pick up
product and deliver it to Stillwater for example, under the current OCM rule without me even operating my my delivery license. >> So I mean that could in theory cut down traffic at the site too if people are
utilizing that to >> Yeah, I I would love to do delivery. I did not include that intentionally because I don't want to I I know there was originally when I submitted there was like some uncertainty around
delivery and like what that entails and if Bayport does not want me to house my delivery business here like totally cool like I'll I'll headquarters out of Minneapolis or St. Paul or
something. Um, but that's I guess just a little insight as to my understanding of the delivery license and what it what it means. >> Okay. >> So, the delivery, not that you're doing it, but I mean, you're saying it you
would be the seller of it, the retailer. >> You're selling it to this person or you're selling it to XYZ. We don't know where it's going after. So, it could could go to anybody, >> right? You're just selling it to a legal person that's picking it up.
>> So the the transaction, say you're in Still Water. >> Yeah. >> And to to order delivery to your home, you have to proc you have to prepay for the order through the dispensary. So maybe you're ordering from me in this
example across the street. >> And then you you obviously are in my system and you're verified. You have to pay in advance, but then the delivery driver or the delivery company picks up the product and they have to manifest it
over to their license because this is all tracked in the same sale. >> It's prepaid. Delivery driver brings it to you, the customer, verifies ID, scans it on the phone and all of that. And so it's not just like, okay, here I'm giving it to
>> It's a little weird that the delivery company is operating on behalf of the retail license. Like it's and I don't know if the OCM like fully thought all of this out, but that's the way that it was structured. >> Okay. Yeah. I just [clears throat]
that's a whole another >> Yeah. >> thing. [laughter] But okay. which is why I just avoid avoid. >> And man, did we ever come up or land on something with
and maybe I missed it last time? Um like having this a distance from schools and stuff or not or was that not part of our thing? >> We do not have that in our code. >> Okay. >> And that's not in the state law. State
law allows you to adopt a code that has certain distances, but we did not do that. >> Okay. >> Well, really, by the time >> by the time his business would be opening, >> school won't be there yet. >> Anderson will have closed and moved.
>> Yeah. >> I [snorts] mean, it's supposed to open fall of 2026, right? The new school. >> Oh god. I knew we talked. I just didn't know remember what the thing is. And then for the cup
um is that review then after a year or is it ongoing? >> Um so condition 16 does that it shall be reviewed for compliance on an annual basis or as council deems necessary.
>> Okay. >> So when it mean when you say reviewed is that by city staff? >> Yeah. Um, so it would not come before >> us or the city council again.
>> No, not unless something was not working well. >> Okay. >> And there was something that we needed to >> um so these you probably have these emails probably >> or I it's part of the city. Did city get
those? These >> they will become part of the record. >> Oh, these are the public emails. I have not seen those. No. >> Um [clears throat] so um they're both from it appears people who live right near where the dispensary
is. Do you have any plans to uh do some PR work with your neighbors and the the other businesses or other uh since there are residential homes right in this same area?
>> Yeah, I wish I wish they were here so I could meet them and talk. Um, but it I was not planning on knocking on doors, I guess, but I I want to work with the community and I want to make the community feel heard on their concerns
in there. And if they're primarily around parking along their streets, I can say that I I also don't want people parking over there. And I do not think there is a need for people to be parking on Second Street, which is the road one
over. There's going to be plenty of parking right here on site for them. [clears throat] >> I think Oh, sorry. Go ahead. No, >> I just said I think some of it was
people buying stuff there and going to Lakeside Park, but you're saying that's a public park, so they can't just >> they cannot >> go. So that's nothing to do with him. Like so I mean they're bringing up the concerns, but some of it isn't in his
um control. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I I can't control what people do. I can >> Yeah. >> I can Yep. >> suggest and >> Mhm. and promote that they don't smoke >> cannabis in the park by a school like
>> this is somewhat common sense although you know >> yeah [snorts] >> it's really a can liquor store I mean you can go into liquor store and buy your alcohol and then it's not up to the liquor store what you do with it >> I mean what we're looking at is really
is really whether or not these conditions are appropriate for this license. >> Y >> what what people do with the product after they purchase illegally as non up to us.
>> Uh I just had a question about um your advertising plan. Are you going to have like billboards on 94 or 36? Um it initially no like my marketing
budget is like next to nothing because my biggest concern is having inventory to sell like that. [laughter] >> I may not be open >> seven days a week. I may be open at first on Friday and Saturday nights from
>> from 4 to 8 or whatever. Like I may not have enough inventory to sell. that that's my bigger concern over over the billboards. Now, if I do have if I did have billboards, they would probably be in Wisconsin. Um there are like even in
Minnesota, it's counterintuitive, but there's like dispensary billboards here on this side of the border for a fake cannabis shop in Hudson. >> I've seen those. That's why >> I'm so confused like [laughter] yeah the
consumer has to be so confused by by these things cuz it's like cannabis is not legal in Wisconsin and uh with the funding bill there were some changes that are putting pressure on some of
that unregulated hemp THC which is really it's hemp product that's technically hemp as flour and then they're able to spread spray synthetic THC on that product and sell
it as hemp. Um the loopholes are like this is very much not a loophole business like this is the real natural cannabis and that is what's very regulated whereas the the
hemp >> it not that I I have nothing against hemp like original normal natural hemp but the stuff that they're selling is not that's not natural >> cannabis product >> and the rules for like we're saying it's
like a liquor store. So I mean kind of going like that. So is there random checks and different stuff? I'm sure you have many >> Yeah. >> different things that >> it's not just by like I've got the
annual at least a minimum of one check from >> the city. I don't know if that is really from you, but that's at a minimum. like >> yeah, >> you guys can come in once a day if you >> um the OCM is also going to be doing
>> uh random checks and they're >> they're looking at uh probably less so the the ID check part and more of the compliance of the seed to sale and like do I have is everything that's in my
store marked and sourced from a proper uh legal entity? it's not, you know, brought in off the black market or something. So, the OCM is looking at different things when they do their inspection
>> for your like staffing. I guess I'm just saying they're going to be um I would assume you as the owner would want them to be very like, okay, we have to follow these rules. You can't just be like, oh, you know, sometimes the bars
give somebody a drink who's underage. Do you know what I'm saying? So, you the people that are working there are going to be >> making sure they're following, you know, what what the city wants and what the state laws are and all that. >> Yeah. And internally, um I expect to
have daily daily inventory counts. And that discourages the uh the under the table. >> Yeah. >> Or the pocketing a a vape cart here or there kind of thing. Um, and the rules around that have have
loosened up a little bit from what they they were like in the medical market. We were doing counts every morning, every night, >> and which is like a lot a lot of counting. [laughter] Um, [clears throat] but yeah, very very much different than
than a bar or a liquor store that I don't know if they're doing monthly. >> Maybe. I'm just laughing imagining them counting the bar the bottles [laughter] of liquor they have. Um
Sarah, uh is the city looking I mean this isn't as this moves forward it's not going to open for like till next summer is what I think the plan said but is the city
thinking about sort of contingencies and plans of how to address anything that happens that uh the citizens of Bayport will not like happening
like people smoking at the park or [clears throat] people hanging outside outside the business. Those those are the things that these letters and I think a lot of people are concerned about.
Madam Chair, um I would like to say Brandon's been very well to work with so far in the application process and I think he's proven tonight he's very knowledgeable and wants to be a community partner. Um we haven't t talked really about the enforcement piece because we don't know whether
there will be concerns or need for enforcement. So, I think by having a good open relationship with the police department, with staff, we can work through those issues if there are any, but hopefully get in front of them so that he knows our expectations as a community and um he wants to be a good
business owner in the city. >> Thank you. Any other questions? I mean, I agree what Orin said, like it's not for
um Brandon to monitor the park or people hanging outside. >> It is the police or [clears throat] the neighbors are going to call the police. >> Yeah, I I agree with that. I just um these letters
suggest that people are worried about what it's going to do to our town. So ways we can get in front of that will hopefully make this go smoother >> is what I'm at. It's not about you
really. It's about sort of like >> how to handle completely. >> People don't want this from these letters we got. They don't want this. But we all passed a law in Minnesota that said that they people could do
this. >> Yeah. >> So it's kind of bad. I'm trying to think about providing information to help the public balance >> their concerns with the reality of the law. >> Right.
>> Right. Well, I mean, I just wrote on our letters, I mean, [snorts] our response as planning commission from the public comments, we don't have a decision whether or not to allow this. Yeah,
>> if they are following [clears throat] the rules of the state and our ordinances, >> then it's >> Yeah, >> it's >> and I I would say that I think the list of CP conditions seem
reasonable to me. >> Yes. Um and I think you know too for concerns uh community members that um if if uh the applicant isn't following you know the the rules so to speak that um
they should contact well first of all police department if that's a enforcement issue or something like that or secondly city council members because they can review the cup as needed if uh there's issues. So, I think I think uh
we should just support this tonight to go to city council. Uh given that the applicant seems to have their ducks in a row and uh conditions seem reasonable and if there's problems later, we will use the correct routes to fix them in my
opinion. >> Uh yes, I I agree with all of that. I [clears throat] just part of the planning commission. I see our role is to get as much information to help the city council make a decision and also so it's part of the record for the public
to uh be able to come and look at what we talked about tonight to if they are concerned about things. Um, and I I want to trust that the state of Minnesota,
the laws and the rules they put in place as well as as well as what we have here is going to make this a good experience for Bayport. I mean, I have a 15year-old, so my kid is in the range of
the kids who are going to try and get [laughter] in your snow. >> Yeah. [snorts] Not I'm saying my kid would, but that's the age of kids who are going to try and push the boundaries and we want our community to be safe. So, I'm glad to hear that you have
[clears throat] >> are following the laws and looking at these issues. >> Yeah. And I've I've been 15 before and [laughter] like I was probably that I was probably that kid. But it is it it was easier for
me as a 15-year-old to purchase cannabis than it was for me to get beer. >> Yeah. >> And maybe 15 is whatever the number. Maybe I was 16. But >> it it's easier to get something from an unregulated source
who's not checking your ID. Um it's very hard to find black market alcohol. [snorts] It just like doesn't exist because the industry is so efficient and people buy it from the regulated market. Eventually, that will be where cannabis
goes. Today, cannabis is legal in Minnesota. So, you can smoke and consume cannabis at your home or in areas that are allowed, but you cannot really purchase it. So, people have to either purchase it from the black market um or
buy the fake stuff from the hemp shops or they have to grow it. And growing cannabis is fun once. It's not same with brewing beer if you've ever like it's it's just not
it's not a it's not the preferred way of of obtaining that substance. So, for for a regulated store, they're getting their ID checked twice. there will be zero underage purchase of cannabis. Now, if a 21-year-old comes in and purchases
cannabis and sells it to a minor, um that that would be a problem, which it is also for the alcohol industry, but you have to know a 21-year-old and if you're 15, I don't know if you do. >> Hopefully, they don't. Maybe if you have
older siblings or something, but you you typically don't have that big of an age gap as a 15-y old. An 18, 19 year old may know some 21 year olds. And like I'm not going to say that's not going to happen. Like it probably will. Um I will
not be aware of it or it won't happen. But, uh, just to address the like widespread in increase in cannabis use, it's not I I don't foresee that. I see a a big shift off of the hemp THC and
eventually off of the black market. But the black market is very efficient and there are no rules, regulations, no testing on pesticides. It's just it's a cheaper, easier way for a lot of people to get cannabis because it's been the only way for so
long. So, it'll take some time to shift the consumer to the regulated source like we all have since prohibition of alcohol. Like we all now buy alcohol from the store.
>> So, I don't know if that helps, but thank you. I >> uh any other questions or statements anybody wants to make? All right. Then I am going to move to recommend the city council approve a
conditional use permit for the for a retail cannabis business at 243rd Street North subject to the findings of fact and conditions of approval recommended by staff. Is there a second?
>> I'll second. >> All those in favor say I. >> I. >> All those opposed. Motion carries. Uh, all right. There is no old business, new business, or general information
on the agenda. Next is the open forum. The open forum is a portion of the meeting for the public to ask questions or comment on subjects related to land use that are not part of the meeting agenda. Anyone wishing to comment shall
state their name and street address for the record. Um seeing no one here for the open forum that concludes the business on tonight's agenda. I motion to adjourn the meeting.
>> Second. >> All those in favor say I. I. >> All those opposed. Motion carries. Thank you. Thanks.