The Ways & Means Committee approved a both a City of Crookston Tobacco-Free Policy and the Gateway Overlay District Ordinance on Monday night. Both will go to City Council for final approval.
The Tobacco-Free Policy was developed by a group of City of Crookston staff comprised of both users and non-users of Tobacco products who came up with a policy that could be acceptable to both groups explained Kathy Carlson, Accountant for the City of Crookston and the head of the group tasked with creating the policy. “It came up in our safety committee meeting and was brought to our attention that some of our employees were troubled by coworkers that were using tobacco throughout the day,” said Carlson. “I was tasked by Shannon (Stassen, City Administrator) to lead a task force to research it. We sent out a survey we had gotten through Polk County Health asking questions of our staff. We had a few that wanted to quick smoking, didn’t know how and were interested in help. So we updated our plan to include all tobacco and our plan is to offer cessation programs to our employees for the next nine months to help those that may want to quit and then the policy will take place.”
A tobacco-free policy has already been in place for City of Crookston parks since 2004 and this update will now include all buildings.
The committee also approved the Gateway Overlay District Ordinance passed on by the Planning Commission last week. Councilman Tom Vedbraaten spoke out against the ordinance saying he believed it would deter businesses from coming to Crookston. Councilman Dale Stainbrook, who sits on the planning commission, said they probably wouldn’t see notable changes from the policy until he was six feet under, but that it was a step in the right direction for the future of Crookston. “It’s going to take some time to get everybody on the same page,” said Stainbrook. “We’re not anti-business. We welcome anybody, it’s case by case and I think our existing businesses are interested in it too. It’s always (an issue) with funding if someone comes in and takes over an existing business they are grandfathered in. They don’t have to conform to our new regulations or whatever we’re setting with this gateway. We welcome anybody and everybody. I don’t think you’re going to go read our website on our gateway and that’s going to deter business. I feel we’re open for business and willing to work with whoever is here, it’s case by case.”
Vedbraaten also said he believes the industrial area of town should be left out of the ordinance. “I still feel we should leave our industrial park alone,” said Vedbraaten. “Let the businesses be out there and let new businesses come in. I don’t like making an ordinance on the idea we can change it (later). Make it as simple as possible and cover the things you need to be covered. By doing this I think we’re going overboard.”
Vedbraaten said he doesn’t see too many issues with the ordinance outside of the effect on the industrial part of town. “Highway 2 East coming in that’s pretty nice,” said Vedbraaten. “You’re talking single family residences anyway which aren’t included. You have a couple of business on the east end that is always looking good, I don’t see a problem with them. You go out on the bypass on the north end it’s always nice out there, you come in on (Highway) 75 or Highway 2 there is never a problem on those. (Highway) 75 South you have all our factories out there and they keep them up as nice as they can. They keep them up as nice as they can and when they talk about if we had this in for 30 years I’ve been here since ’81 and those businesses were there then so it wouldn’t make a difference because they’re still there. I just think we’re putting in stuff that a new business coming in you’d never have to worry about it anyway and why if they are coming in give them a variance. Just exempt that area and call it good.”
The ordinance was advanced to council with the only audible nay coming from Vedbraaten.
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