By Robert Williams

Editor

Otter Tail County denied its first cannabis registration application for a future business to be located in New York Mills at the board’s latest meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 26 in Fergus Falls.

The county received a Cannabis Registration Application from Matt Wedde for a retail cannabis business located at 20 N Main Avenue in New York Mills.

Any cannabis business in the county must register with the county to allow for compliance checks.

The application was submitted by M.L. Enterprises, Inc. dba Continental Cannabis Company with Matt Wedde listed as the applicant.

The City of New York Mills delegated registration authority to Otter Tail County through a resolution adopted by the City Council of New York Mills on July 8, 2025.

Pre-approval was received by the applicant from the State Office of Cannabis Management on Sept. 17, with zoning approval from the city received on Aug. 13.

Land and Resource Management Director Chris LeClair went over multiple buffer requirements with one being brought into question:

• Otter Tail County prohibits the operation of a cannabis business within 1,000 feet of any educational institution or public or private elementary, middle junior high, high school or college.

The proposed cannabis retail business is approximately 930-feet from New York Mills Public School, located at 209 Hayes Avenue.

The most conservative measurement was used to the property line of the southern side of the school’s parking lot, according to LeClair.

The measurement was made measuring the closest property corner of the proposed cannabis business to the closest property corner of the school grounds.

“I don’t think we can violate our own ordinance,” Commissioner Steve Sullivan said.

That was quickly turned into a motion, seconded and the application at that location was denied.

Chairman Wayne Johnson proposed that the ordinance may need to be rethought in regards to smaller towns where the current buffers may make it impossible for a cannabis location to be in city limits.

The other four buffers are:

• Otter Tail County prohibits the operation of a cannabis business within 500 feet of a daycare

• Otter Tail County prohibits the operation of a cannabis business within 500 feet of a residential treatment facility, group home for developmentally disabled, halfway house or correctional facility

• Otter Tail County prohibits the operation of a cannabis business within 500 feet of an attraction within a public state, county or city park that is regularly used by minors, including a playground, lake public access, or athletic field

• Otter Tail County prohibits the operation of a cannabis business within 500 feet of another cannabis business

There are two more applications, both for Pelican Rapids based cannabis businesses that will be up for approval in the next month.

Child Support

Commissioners signed a proclamation noting the month of August to be Child Support Awareness Month and August 26 to be Child Support Appreciation Day in Otter Tail County; and urge citizens and all agencies and organizations interested in meeting the needs of children and families to unite in observance of and recognize the important work occurring in the community to ensure stability, safety, and opportunity for the next generation.

In 50 years, more than $786 billion has been collected to reduce child poverty and improve economic independence that leads to better social and health outcomes

There are nearly 2,000 active cases in Otter Tail County. Minnesota’s collection of monthly child support and overdue support continues to rank at the top nationally, with $510.3 million collected and disbursed in 2024. 

Human Services Director Deb Sjostrom and Assistant Human Services Director Jess Steinbrenner commended Child Support Supervisor Leslie Hauge and her team, which has gone through significant changes over the past year including 50 percent of the staff is either in a new role or is new to the organization.

Highway

Deputy Administrator Nick Leonard and Interim County Highway Engineer Rick West recommended Jodi Teich to be the county’s new highway engineer.

Former Highway Engineer Krysten Foster left the county after two years in July to take a senior project management position at Stonebrooke Engineering in Burnesville.

Teich brings extensive leadership experience in county engineering and transportation planning to Otter Tail County.

Teich grew up on a dairy farm in southern Douglas County and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree. She worked as the assistant county engineer at Pine County for four and a half years before taking the assistant county engineer position at Stearns County. After 12 years as an assistant, she was appointed Stearns County Engineer in 2012, where she oversaw road construction, maintenance and transportation planning for one of Minnesota’s largest counties.

“We are excited to welcome Ms. Teich to our team,” said County Board Chair Wayne Johnson. “Her proven track record of leadership in county engineering and her recognition as a national leader in the field make her an excellent fit for Otter Tail County.”

Teich’s credentials include being named the National Association of County Engineers’ 2024 Urban Engineer of the Year. She currently serves as the north central vice president for the National Association of County Engineers and received the William Koniarski Transportation Advocate Award from the Minnesota Transportation Alliance.

During her tenure in Stearns County, Teich managed a comprehensive transportation system serving both urban and rural communities. Her experience overseeing complex infrastructure projects and coordinating with multiple jurisdictions will benefit Otter Tail County’s extensive road network.

“I am very excited for this opportunity,” said Teich. “I look forward to bringing my experience to Otter Tail County and to building relationships and working to improve the lives of those who travel through the county.”

As county engineer, Teich will oversee highway construction and maintenance, bridge inspections, traffic safety programs and coordination with state and federal transportation agencies. Otter Tail County maintains approximately 1,067 miles of county roads and 74 bridges throughout its 2,225 square miles.

Johnson was complimentary of the speed and thoroughness of the backfill of Foster’s position. 

“That was a very good turnaround of timeframe,” he said. “We’ve been on engineering searches before that have taken a long time. Admin, Human Resources, and everyone that was involved, that was awesome.”

A Highway Maintenance Worker position was also added to the highway structure. The position was budgeted from 2024 as a floater position. It had not been filled as the department worked out how best to use the position, according to Assistant Human Resources Director Stephanie Retzlaff.

The department determined the best need would be a full-time position on the east side of the county based out of New York Mills.

Open House

Commissioners will host a community open house on Monday, Sept. 15, from 7-9 p.m. at the Dent Community Center at 201 Birch Street. This is not a formal Board of Commissioners meeting but an opportunity for residents to engage directly with commissioners and county staff about local initiatives and services.

Commissioner Dan Bucholz, representing District 1, invites residents to attend.

“This open house gives us the chance to listen to you, share what we’re working on, and talk about how we can serve our communities,” Bucholz said. “We look forward to seeing you in Dent.”

County employees from several departments will be on hand to share information and answer questions. Highlights of the event include:

Highway Transportation Plan Presentation: Engineers from the County Highway Department will provide an overview of the county’s long-range transportation and safe roads planning.

Community Development Updates: Community Development staff will share details about new housing and community projects.

Technology Demonstration: Staff from the financial services team will demonstrate the latest innovation in paying taxes online.

Following the brief presentations, attendees can speak directly with county commissioners, ask questions, and provide feedback. Light refreshments will be served.

Planning Commission

The Planning Commission recommended approval with conditions of a preliminary plat of Lakeview Estates consisting of eight Single Family Residential Riparian Lots and four Single Family Residential Non-Riparian Lots, two Blocks, and a Conditional Use Permit Application to construct an approximate 1400-foot-long public road to township and county specifications to service the proposed plat of Lakeview Estates. The project is located in Section 9 of Dora Township, near Kemp Lake and Loon Lake.

Josh Pfeffer, Meadowland Surveying; John Olson, Apex Engineering and Jacob Sonnenberg, property owner, represented the Preliminary Plat Application and Conditional Use Permit Application.

“After a lot of discussion and a lot of public comment we got down to some motions by the planning commission,” said Land and Resource Management Director Chris LeClair.

The preliminary plat motion was approved with the following conditions:

• The soil treatment areas for each lot’s septic system must be clearly protected using iron posts and snow fencing.

• Extend the proposed dedicated road right of way to the southerly portion of the property for future development.

Dora Township has agreed to take over the road, according to Johnson. The township is meeting the first week of September to determine the preference of if a through-road is necessary.

No construction is scheduled to begin on the property until 2026.

Due to that and the upcoming township meeting, the two separate motions, including the conditional use permit, were extended 60 days by the board of commissioners.