Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
The Eddy County Commission approved an amendment to the 2017 Eddy County Zoning Ordinance to accommodate the newly-passed medical marijuana initiative.
The 2017 North Dakota Legislature enacted Senate Bill 2344, relating to the implementation of the North Dakota Compassionate Care Act for the regulation of medical marijuana dispensaries and the cultivation and propagation of medical marijuana in North Dakota. The addition of Article 11 Medical Marijuana set guidelines and fees to comply with the state law, including a permit application fee of $5,000. It was determined that there would also be an annual permit fee to offset associated costs of policing, inspecting and regulating medical marijuana facilities.
The amendment was adopted to protect the public health, safety and general welfare of the citizens of Eddy County, recognizing that medical marijuana is a heavily regulated industry in the state.
Currently, it is not likely that a medical marijuana distribution center would open operations in Eddy County. Such facilities are registered with the state of North Dakota for the purpose of acquiring and dispensing medical marijuana and have already been designated to be located in the larger North Dakota cities.
A medical marijuana manufacturing center is different from a dispensary, as it is an entity registered with the state of North Dakota for the cultivation and sale of medical marijuana to a North Dakota registered medical marijuana distribution center. A medical marijuana manufacturing center seems to be the only type of center that is feasible to operate in Eddy County at this time.
If a medical marijuana manufacturing center were to be established in Eddy County, it would be required to have a minimum six-foot-high perimeter fence encompassing its boundary and be located a minimum of 2,640 feet from a public or private preschool, kindergarten, elementary, secondary or high school, public park, public community center, dependent care facility, homeless shelter, youth center or place of worship. It would also be required to be located a minimum of 500 feet from any residential district. In addition, it will only be able to operate within the hours of 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., must be well-lit with surveillance cameras on the entire exterior of the center.
Eddy County Sheriff Paul Lies presented the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office report for the first quarter of 2018.
In the first quarter the office received 410 calls for service from Lake Region Law Enforcement Center dispatchers. There were 34 hand-written citations and 94 electronic citations issued by Eddy County deputies during the quarter.
There were three search warrants executed in the first quarter. These search warrants resulted in five people being charged with multiple narcotics violations, multiple possession of drug paraphernalia charges and one report of suspected child abuse. One search warrant resulted in a person being charged with corruption of a minor in another county.
Lies also informed the commissioners that the squad car they ordered will be delayed because the company does not have the required engine in stock. He was assured by the company that the vehicle will be ready within the next two months. The sheriff’s department is still debating which vehicle to replace, as there are two that could possibly need replacement.
However, Lies said that after talking with Kenny Thompson from Mick’s 281, who does the repair work for the county, that one of the current vehicles, the Ford Interceptor, will most likely be replaced due to its many mechanical issues.
When that happens, Lies said the sheriff’s office will have two former squad cars, several vehicles from the impound, and other items and equipment that will need to be sold.
The Fishing Derby is coming up soon and the sheriff’s department is grateful to the businesses who have been generous with their donations. They are looking for suggestions on what items to give away this year, as they have already given fishing rods and tackle boxes.
Eddy County Road Superintendent Irvin Loe said the road crew has been trying out the new packer and have been impressed with it. He said it weighs about 4,000 pounds and is a very sturdy piece of equipment. The department is currently working on identifying the spots that need gravelling. Loe will call Harvey Sand and Gravel to get the specifics on their gravelling project and will check on prices of gravel. Commissioners also discussed the quality of gravel that they want to use in the future. Loe said the standard for gravel has been #5 grade for years, but he said it was his opinion that the county uses a higher grade if possible.
Issues regarding the current open positions was discussed, including the recently held interviews for the Emergency Manager position, the upcoming interviews for the Veterans Services Officer and the Caretaker position at Warsing Dam.
After hearing a report from Eddy County Auditor Patty Williams and Commissioner Glenda Collier regarding their recent interviews, the commissioners agreed to make an offer to a candidate for the Emergency Manager position. The commissioners will hold interviews for the Veterans Services Officer on May 1. Applications are open for the Warsing Dam caretaker position until Friday, May 4.
The final topic on the agenda was to change the time of the regular Eddy County Commission meetings to 8:30 a.m. going forward. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 15 at 8:30 a.m.
