The Escanaba City Council Thursday night voted 3-2 to reject a 90-day moratorium on new marijuana business applications in the city.
Council member and mayor pro-tem Karen Moore had advocated for that moratorium.
“People have differing opinions,” Moore said. “Looking at all these people who came here, that came at the last meeting, that came at the Planning Commission meeting. We deserve to take a step back. Look at things, and examine things that maybe we didn’t think were so important at the time we made the ordinance (allowing marijuana retailers in the city). Listen to people’s suggestions, and take a step back for these three months.”
Councilman Tyler Dubord disagreed, noting that the ordinance allowing marijuana dispenseries was approved four months ago in September.
“We’ve had multiple discussions on this topic,” Dubord said. “We worked very hard with our attorneys for months. We have given ample opportunity to hear all of you during all of those public hearings back in the day.”
Dubord also noted that a moriatorium wouldn’t change anything, because there are six businesses that have already applied for liceneses to operate in Escanaba, and they would be grandfathered in under the curent ordinance and would not be subject to any moratorium.
“This moratorium is not going to stop those six or seven moving forward,” Dubord said. “It’s not. They’re gonna continue to move forward with their establishment and their licensing.”
He said that the city planning commission and city council can always look at tweaking the ordinance if the it looks like Escanaba is going to be overwhelmed by applicants. Moore wasn’t convinced.
“If we don’t put the moratorium in, more people could apply, which is going to increase the workload (of city staff monitoring the establishments),” she said. “If you put the moratorium, then it just stops everyting for the moment. I think we need to stop. And then after three months, decide if we’re going to turn it all back on again.”
Dubord replied that he doesn’t believe there will be more businesses applying beyond those who already have.
“There’s not te demand for dispenseries like there was a year or two ago,” he said.
Ultimately, the council decided on a 3-2 vote to not have a moratorium. Mayor Mark Ammel cast the vote that broke the 2-2 tie.
The vote came after about 30 minutes of public comment, with most who spoke opposing marijuana shops in Escanaba.
Also Thursday night, the council approved a contract for new City Manager Jim McNeil. That vote was unanimous, 5-0. He will receive $145,000, with $25,000 of that being compensation for McNeil’s other duties as the Escanaba city assessor.
Comments