Douglas County Board Meeting April 15 2025

Douglas County Commissioners voted to limit the number of retail businesses selling adult use cannabis products. This vote does not affect the businesses already established to sell low-potency hemp products. Land and Resource Management Director Dave Rush reviewed the process preceding this resolution including the regulation that requires counties to allow at least one registration per 12,500 residents. Douglas County’s population means a total of four registrations. That can include registrations in cities and townships opting to handle their own paperwork. However, the overall number in the county may be greater than four depending on how many registrations occur within city limits.

Commissioners also signed a memorandum of agreement with Horizon Public Health to handle the registration paperwork and work with the sheriff’s office on business compliance.

Sheriff’s Office

Sheriff Troy Wolbersen asked the board to accept several donations and grants. The Minnesota Sheriff’s Association donated $250 to be used for the honor guard, the Kiwanis Club of Alexandria Golden K donated $300 for the DARE program and Lakes Area Law Dogs donated a Yamaha portable sound system valued at $3,000. The sound system is needed for demonstrations held to showcase the skills of the sheriff’s canine officers. The grants are both from the DNR. One is $26,250 used to offset some of the costs for patrol of county lakes, the other is $2,500 to cover additional boat patrols when necessary for the safety of the county.

The meeting was held during Public Safety Telecommunicators week and Board Chair Jerry Rapp told Sheriff Wolbersen he wanted to publicly recognize the good work the 911 dispatchers, also known as telecommunicators, do every day. All commissioners echoed this sentiment, and Sheriff Wolbersen agreed the county’s dispatchers do an excellent job.

Butterfly Release

Commissioners also approved a request to use the courthouse lawn for the annual Horizon Public Health butterfly release. This is a special remembrance activity for family and loved ones who have had someone special in the county’s hospice program. That event will be held on August 12.