WORTHINGTON — The Nobles County Board of Commissioners approved two new tobacco licenses, one for the Worthington Smoke Shop and one for The Station, which have two different owners.
The new businesses expect to open across the street from each other on North McMillan Street, the Smoke Shop at 1610 and The Station at 1607.
“I think we all know why the sudden surge in smoke shops,” said Commissioner Justin Ahlers, referring to the Minnesota House and Senate passing separate bills legalizing recreational marijuana. The two bills must be reconciled into a single bill before being sent to the governor for his signature.
Ahlers emphasized that just because a shop has a tobacco license does not mean they will receive a cannabis license.
Nobles County Attorney Joe Sanow noted that a moratorium is still in place on consumables, and said the county would likely need to pass a separate ordinance dealing with marijuana, depending on the final form the state’s legislation takes.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Well, I just don’t want every one of these smoke shops that’s coming into town to, all of a sudden, have a dispensary, if you will,” Ahlers said.
The Smoke Shop licensee is listed as Abushadi LLC on the licensing application.
The Station LLC is listed as the licensee on the other application, and its owners already own a similar location in the Thompson Hotel building and another in Sioux Falls, S.D.
The two owners of The Station were present during the county board meeting and said the plan is to eventually move their business to the North McMillan location, as customers sometimes find the steps to the lower level of the Thompson difficult to navigate.
In other news Tuesday, the board:
- Recognized Sara Henderson, child support officer, for 25 years of service with the county.
- Approved a permit for a one to four day temporary on-sale liquor license for the Lao Buddhist Temple on June 17, July 29 and Sept. 23.
- Received notification that county wetland habitat easements for two contiguous portions of land in Indian Lake Township will be sent to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Land Exchange, for approval, for the benefit of wetland bird species.
- Approved tobacco licenses from Worthington Smoke Shop, at 1610 McMillan St., and The Station, to be located at 1607 North McMillan Street.
- Approved a request from Lewis & Clark Regional Water System, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for a conditional use permit for the construction of a main water line outside the road right-of-way paralleling King Avenue from 270th Street South to the Iowa line. Approval was recommended by the Nobles County Planning and Zoning Commission.
- Accepted a bid for the 2023 bituminous crack treatment and joint leveling project for $847,738 from Northwest Asphalt & Maintenance. There were three bids, with the highest being $1.57 million; the engineer’s estimated project cost was $1.24 million. The contract includes 63 miles of crack sealing and 88.5 miles of joint leveling.
- Voted 4-1, Commissioner Bob Paplow dissenting, to award a bid for replacing the Nobles County Government Center’s standby diesel generator for $548,851 to Doom & Cuyper’s Construction, Inc., of Marshall. The other bid received was $574,800, from Sussner Construction, Inc., also of Marshall.
- Received an annual report from the Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust, a risk-sharing group that provides coverage for property, liability, auto, cyber and workers’ compensation.
The Trust Project
