Ordinances
Council adopts changes to tobacco and cannabis regulations
The Albert Lea City Council voted Feb. 23 to adopt changes to city ordinances that:
- Regulate the sale, possession, and use of tobacco, tobacco products, and tobacco-related devices
- Regulate cannabis businesses within the legal jurisdiction of the city
See the PDF files below for the ordinances as introduced. Also Feb. 23 city council meeting for discussion of the changes.
These ordinance amendments required two council votes:
- The first to introduce the changes and the second to adopt the changes.
- The council introduced the changes on Feb. 9 and voted on the final changes at its Feb. 23 meeting.
For more information
City Clerk Daphney Maras
507-377-4335
Ordinance Amending Section 50.0052 Conditional Uses (1st Reading)
Attached is an ordinance amending the expiration of conditional use permits. Currently, conditional use permits expire if construction hasn’t started within 12 months of city council approval. This has become problematic in a post COVID construction era where the industry is plagued by persistent labor shortages, higher costs and supply chain disruptions. All of which lead to hesitant developers and project delays.
In order to streamline conditional use permits that may be delayed for any of the above-mentioned reasons, staff has proposed to amend the conditional use permit ordinance to allow an extension after the 12-month timeframe provided that all aspects of the original conditional use permit remain the same.
The Planning Commission held a public hearing on March 3, 2026 in regard to this amendment and recommends approval.
The first reading of the ordinance was at the March 9, 2026 City Council Meeting.
The second reading of the ordinance will occur March 23, 2026.