Cervid farms, cemeteries to get new rules

Carlton County officials are poised to make some significant changes to the zoning ordinance, specifically addressing cervid farms, residential and commercial kennels and future cemeteries, with a public hearing set for May 3 to receive public input.

The commission held three working sessions through the fall and winter, approving proposed changes on March 1 and finally setting a hearing date at their April 5 meeting.

Cervid farms (deer, elk, moose or reindeer) have been under a county moratorium on establishing or expanding an operation while new zoning rules were established. The proposed new rules permanently forbid establishing or expanding cervid farms in Carlton County. Existing farms will not be closed. In this Minnesota legislative session both house and senate bills propose moving regulations to the Department of Natural Resources from the Minnesota Board of Animal Health. Cervid farms have come under fire for the way they congregate deer unnaturally, becoming epicenters for the spread of chronic wasting disease, a fatal condition expanding across the state in the white-tailed deer population.

The definition of what makes a residential or commercial kennel would also change. A residential kennel now has no number threshold for how many dogs or cats a resident may have. Wording using “three or more” animals was dropped. Residential kennels are permitted in A-1 Agricultural/Forest Management, A-2 Agricultural/Residential, and R-1 Recreation Residential districts.

A commercial kennel is an operation in which four or more dogs, or four or more cats, over the age of 4 months old, are bred, bordered or trained for compensation. Commercial kennels can be permitted only in A-1 Agricultural/Forest Management and A-2 Agricultural/Residential districts. Commercial kennels are required to apply for a conditional or interim use permit and provide a facility operator’s plan including the number of dogs, the ratio of dogs to employees, waste management plan, setbacks and vegetative buffer strips, plans to mitigate noise, and minimum setbacks from the closest neighbor of 600 feet.

The proposed green cemetery in Blackhoof Township has been in the news for some time. Cemeteries are allowed in the A-1 and A-2 zoning districts and on conditional use in the recreation/residential zoning district.

Proposed changes require a conditional/interim use permit and supporting information including a detailed site plan about wells, bathrooms, sewage treatment and a stormwater pollution prevention plan, to name a few. Primary access needs to be located on state or county roadways and a parking lot would need at least 50 spaces. The proposed changes apply to cemeteries under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 306.

“These changes reflect questions and feedback I have gotten from you as commissioners,” zoning administrator Heather Cunningham said. “I have presented my concerns and second guessing to the planning commission during work sessions, but their discussions and decisions have been consistent and they believe that this is the way to go.”

The hearing by the planning commission starts at 7 p.m. May 3 at the Transportation Building and the commission will then make a decision to move it to the county board for approval.

New roof at courthouse

The 100-year-old Carlton County Courthouse is getting a new roof this summer, at a far lower cost than originally anticipated.

The board accepted a contract of $271,250 from Equity Builders & Construction Services of Rosemount, Minnesota to replace the roof and waterproof the elevator shaft. The elevator shaft has leaked in the past during heavy downpours.

The green roofing used for the project will match as closely as possible what the original roof looked like when the courthouse was constructed.

Earlier planning and investigation of the current roof estimated the cost might run as high as $1 million. But the structural roof, according to county coordinator Dennis Genereau, was in good shape and needed little renovation.

Center funds in limbo

A group of county representatives, including Sheriff Kelly Lake, county attorney Lauri Ketola, jail administrator Paul Coughlin, economic development director Mary Finnegan, and county commissioners Dick Brenner and Marv Bodie, met in person with Rep. Jeff Dotseth, R-Kettle River, and virtually with Sen. Jason Rarick, R-Pine City, on Friday, April 7. The meeting included an update of justice center funding legislation. Dotseth requested the meeting, which was not public.

County board chair Dick Brenner told the Pine Knot News he was concerned.

“The board is very worried that the $25 million funding request is not included in any current legislation being considered at the Minnesota Legislature,” Brenner said. “And if nothing is done, this will hurt every taxpayer in Carlton County.”

Look for a legislative update next week in the Pine Knot.

County reacts to insurance

Changes are coming for those covered by MinnesotaCare or Medical Assistance (Minnesota’s Medicaid program) as the federal Public Health Emergency response to Covid-19 comes to an end. County health and human services staff face a new, cumbersome reporting program to re-enroll those needing affordable health care coverage or try to find coverage somewhere else.

Refilling a public health financial worker position quickly is vital, said director Dave Lee. Commissioners agreed to refill the position.

“We have prided ourselves in our department, that there was a short wait time to get requests for services to be covered without delay,” Lee said. “This may not always be possible in the next 16 to 24 months.”

As part of the emergency response to the pandemic, states were required to extend Medicaid coverage, but that requirement ended March 31.

The county is expected to get about $248,000 extra funding to cover, in part, re-evaluating those now on MinnesotaCare or Medical Assistance who will have to find their health care coverage somewhere else.

One in four Minnesotans now get their healthcare coverage through those two low-income programs. Currently 9,007 people in Carlton County are enrolled in Medical Assistance or county-processed MinnesotaCare, which is 25 percent of the population.