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VOL. 41 NO. 44 www.quadcommunitypress.com $1.00
LINO LAKES: Considers restricting cannabis in public spaces PAGE 12
Lino Lakes considers hiring consultant to study fire services BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR
FILE PHOTO
Food Truck & Fun Festival The annual Food Truck & Fun Festival is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 17 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Centennial Middle School. The event will include a food trucks, a car show, singing competition and more.
Circle Pines: Every council member is not sold on proposed ordinance BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR
CIRCLE PINES — Whether the city should adopt an ordinance prohibiting smoking, vaping and ingesting tobacco, cannabis, and cannabinoid products in public places remains a topic of discussion that council members don’t all agree on. The council will consider the second reading of the ordinance next week. Four of the five council members voted in favor
of the ordinance on the first reading. Mayor Dave Bartholomay says from an enforcement standpoint, it would be good if the other two cities the city partners with for police services (Lexington and Centerville) adopted the same ordinance. Lexington City Administrator Bill Petracek confirmes the Lexington City Council will discuss the possible ordinance at an upcoming workshop. The city of Centerville just adopted an
ordinance prohibiting smoking cannabis in public areas. City Administrator Mark Statz says the Centerville council will discuss if they should also include tobacco, vaping etc. In 2023, the state legislature passed legislation related to cannabis and hemp products. The law includes the legalization of the production, distribution, sale, possession and use of other cannabis and hemp products. SEE ORDINANCE, PAGE 3
LINO LAKES — Council Member Christopher Lyden is hopeful the city will “take the first step” by hiring an independent consultant to study the city’s fire services and costs. Lyden says the city should use some of its approximately $929,000 public safety aid dollars it received from the state of Minnesota for the consultant. “Our most significant challenge, our Achilles heel as they say, is the cost and other challenges of our fire and first responders,” he says “The single goal is strengthening everyone’s service levels while reducing taxpayer costs… This conversation is about looking forward.” Lyden thinks there is a unique opportunity to “use those aid dollars for an independent analysis of what our needs are and the needs of other communities around us and see if there are any collaborative models that would interest us and other parties.” Council Member Michael Ruhland says he is not opposed to hiring a consultant but thought the city should wait until it discusses the 2024 budget. “I’d like to see what staff comes back with and how that impacts the budget and then maybe revisit it,” Ruhland says. Ruhland wants to hear from Public Safety Director John Swenson about the use of those dollars. Swenson was not a part of the conversation. Mayor Rob Rafferty says he has been digging into the topic for the past three years. “I’ve gained a lot of knowledge from the individuals I’ve talked to. I’m still trying to pull the pieces together. I would not be in favor of hiring an outside source at this time until I’m comfortable with some of that inforamation and filling in these blanks.” Council Member Dale Stoesz agrees and wants to wait and see what city staff says about the 2024 budget. “I want to hear staff out before we override them as far as new ideas.” City Administrator Sarah Cotton wants to know if the council supports city staff looking into costs of hiring an independent consultant to evaluate fire services. Cotton is also concerned the city has budgeted 10 duty crew daytime responders and currently only five are on payroll. “Ensuring that we can provide a reliable, sustainable service to our community, having these conversations, looking into these things is important,” she says. The council directed city staff to obtain a range of services and cost estimates for a consultant, as well as preparing a summary of the city’s current cost of fire services.
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