Drones officially banned from Isanti County parks

The Isanti County Board approved the changes to the county’s park ordinance as part of its meeting held Tuesday, Sept. 17.

And with that move, it effectively banned drones from county parks.

The commissioners originally tackled the topic during a meeting held Aug. 6 where they listened to public input about the document, which was created in 2014 and last updated in 2018. Before a public hearing on the topic during the Sept. 17 meeting, Isanti County Park Director Barry Wendorf noted the county’s Park and Recreation Board started the updates in January, and a number of changes were made.

Other issues that were changed from 2018 included restrictions on the use of cannabis and the addition of a park preserve.

But drones were the focus of public outcry at the Aug. 6 meeting, so the update expressly prohibits deploying or landing a drone or aircraft, model aircraft or model rocket within a park. The only except would be drone use by public safety, park staff or authorized contractors.

“From [the Aug. 6] meeting to this meeting, I did have contact with a Department of Natural Resources conservation officer,” Wendorf said. “I mentioned we were going through the process of updating our ordinance, and in the enforcement language we noted that citations can be issued by conservation officers.

“His recommendation was to add the phrase, ‘or any other licensed state peace officer.’ This would allow for a conservation officer in training, or one not assigned to this area, to help enforce this ordinance.”

City Administrator Amanda Usher read three public comments received via email, and all three supported not allowing drones in the parks.

The commissioners unanimously approved the updates to the county park ordinance that banned the use of the drones in the parks.

County Jail dishwasher delayed

The commissioners tabled a request for a new dishwasher at the county jail, which is a harbinger of bigger issues when it looks to approve a preliminary budget by the end of this month.

The request was to replace the dishwasher at a potential cost of $40,000 following temporary repairs that cost $3,888 earlier this year. The new dishwasher would also require new countertops and air ventilators for the kitchen.

Jail Administrator Cortney Altergott said the current dishwasher, which was purchased in 2005, breaks down once a year.

She noted that each time the machine breaks, staff is required to hand-wash all the dishes, which takes a great deal of time because the cleaning must meet strict Health Department and Department of Corrections rules.

“If it does break down, our staff is placed in an emergency situation where they are having to hand-wash everything,” Altergott said, “They have to go through certain steps as far as what chemicals they use, and we don’t have the staff to work overtime to do that. That is what happened the last time it went down.”

Commissioner Alan Duff noted that there was no funding for the dishwasher in the 2024 budget, and that the commissioner’s contingency fund also may not have enough money for the purchase.

American Rescue Plans (ARPA) are available, and public safety funds might cover expenses above the $40,000 mark.

Commissioner Steve Westerberg moved to delay the purchase.

“I’m not opposed to fixing it; I’m just not sure of the whole remodel,” he said.

Duff also looked to table the topic based on funding concern.

“I want to have our budget discussion and see where we are with our ARPA priorities; I would feel more comfortable with that before [moving on this],” he said.

As a result, the motion was tabled until a date that was not specified, but is expected to be after budget discussions required to set the county’s preliminary budget by the end of the month.