The Litchfield City Council met Monday evening and rejected a recommendation from the Planning Commission regarding the locations of possible cannabis retail establishments. The Planning Commission had met on December 9th and recommended that the zoning ordinance include B2, B3 and B4 as potential sales areas for cannabis with no buffer zone for schools.
Mayor Ron Dingmann, who voted in favor of the Planning Commission’s recommendation along with Councilman John Carlson, says the City wanted sales to be restricted to only B4 districts with a 700-foot buffer zone around schools. He says the vote by the Council for the Planning Commission recommendation failed on a 2-to-3 vote and then a vote to stay with the City’s recommendation passed on a 3-to-2 vote.
Mayor Dingmann says the Council also had a presentation on Monday evening from Shane Zeppelin and Janaye Prieve of the Visitors Bureau with Zeppelin reviewing the Bureau’s 2024 promotions, and Prieve presenting the 2025 budget which the Council approved. He says Greg Langmo and Jim Ellingson also spoke to the Council on behalf of the Golden Fleece Lodge with their idea of constructing a timber-framed picnic shelter at South Park using local trees. The project will probably take place in 2026.
Mayor Dingmann says the Litchfield City Council accepted a low quote from Litchfield Building Center for installing a sloped roof on the old rescue hall for $36,908. He says the Council also approved of a 3-year lease for the 165-acres of farm land around the airport with Kurt Piepenburg.
The American Red Cross collected 53 units of blood from area residents on Monday at the Dassel Covenant Church. The goal had been set at 58 units.
Seven individuals received recognition for gallons donated to date including 1-gallon for Kendra Plaschko of Cokato, 3-gallons each for Laura Hansen, Mark Kivisto, and Rebecca Holmquist – all of Dassel, 4-gallons for Morgan Halonen of Dassel, 5-gallons for Stephen Resop of Dassel, and 12-gallons for Stan VonBank of Dassel. The next blood drive in Dassel will be on April 21st.
The Meeker County Board of Commissioners approved of the 2025 annual budget and property tax levy. The levy is set at $17,415,860 – an increase of 3.5% from 2024, and the total budget is $50,914,285 – an increase of .06% from 2024.
The Board approved of signing a letter regarding certificate of need for Meeker County to use Spruce Ridge Resource Management’s facility in Glencoe to bring its mixed solid waste for the next five years. The Commissioners approved of the updated Meeker County personnel policies; ratified the 2025-26 AFSCME attorney contract and memorandum of understanding relating to pay performance; ratified the 2025-26 AFSCME highway contract and memorandum of understanding relating to pay performance; and ratified the 2025-26 MNPEA non-licensed contract.
The County Board appointed Al Anderson to the Board of Adjustments, appointed Melissa Stonelake to the HRA, appointed Corey Cervin and Jennifer Welling to the Extension Committee and appointed Jesse Turck and Greg Jans to the Planning Commission.
The Meeker County Board of Commissioners has approved of reappointing Doug Huhn as County Surveyor; approved of changing the public hearing for the proposed 2025 fee schedule from December 17th to January 7th; approved of the 2025-26 aquatic invasive species prevention plan; approved of the 2025 water plan projects for funding recommended by the Water Plan Group in the amount of $31,504 with $13,507 of that amount from county in-kind funds and $17,997 from Natural Resource grants; approved of a quote from Bluum Technology for the purchase of audio-visual equipment in the amount of $16,415.91 for the Health & Human Services conference room; and approved of several Health & Human services contracts for 2025.
The 15th annual Wintercade Ice Fishing Contest is coming up on February 8th on Lake Ripley in Litchfield. The 1500 twenty-dollar tickets have already been selling quickly.
Daniel Lease says they ran out of tickets last year around January 1st, so you will want to find a Wintercade Committee member or stop in to the American Legion, Muddy Cow or Running’s soon and purchase your ticket. He says the event helped them raise $19,000 last year and over the first 14 years, they’ve raised over $172,000 with half of that going to veterans organizations and half to other organizations, and they get feedback regarding what groups could benefit from the funds they raise.
Lease says they would like to thank all of their sponsors, many of whom donate the more than $8,000 worth of door prizes that are given away during the contest, and the Fire Dept. which sets up a concession stand on Lake Ripley on February 8th. He says they will not be having the remote locations for the contest this year – it will all be held at Lake Ripley, and they will be awarding cash prizes for several categories of fish, including $100 for the 15th perch that is caught.
James Mickelson says the ice is already about a foot thick on Lake Ripley and they get help from the football team and wrestling club with drilling the holes for the contest and from the Boy Scouts who help clean up afterwards. He says your $20 ticket qualifies you for the drawing of several cash prizes, and for the top prize which is a Bobcat UTV from Farm Rite Equipment of Dassel.
Mickelson says commemorative Wintercade t-shirts will be available for sale beginning this Thursday at the American Legion in Litchfield for $20. For more Wintercade details, find their page on Facebook.