Medical Marijuana and Dispensary mentions in Township Board meeting minutes

 

Here you will find collected all Northfield Township Board meeting mentions of medical marijuana and dispensaries in the interval 12-13-2016 through 11-28-2017.  

The issue was resolved in classic fashion.  Action through Inaction.  The medical marijuana law required townships to opt in, to enact an ordinance permitting dispensaries to operate.  On 11-28-2017 the current Board of Trustees talked without voting one way or another.  The possibility of permitting dispensaries in Northfield Township was allowed to die.

Janet Chick brought the issue before the board.  If you're looking for reasons the initiatives failed to gain traction in Northfield Township, it's not Janet Chick.  She has been open minded about this issue from the start.

-JGN

 

2-28-2017 BOT minutes

2-28-2017 Northfield Township Board of Trustees meeting LiveAgenda

FIRST CALL TO THE PUBLIC

Nicholas Galendez, Pollichella & Associates, Cannabis Attorneys of Michigan, 4312 E. Grand River, Howell, Christine Miles, 9096 Wildwood Lake Drive, Dean Kapp, 5925 Nollar Road, Mark Stanalajczo, 8235 Kearney Road, Margaret Riddell, 65141 W. Eight Mile Road, Mary Devlin, 9211 Brookside Drive, Leann Clair, 9096 Sunny Oaks Drive, David Perry, 9411 Earhart Road, Craig Warburton, 450 W. Joy Road, and Roy Townsend, Managing Director of the Washtenaw County Road Commission, spoke about new State medical marijuana laws, hiring of a Township manager, and the Conditional Use Permit for the WCRC maintenance yard.

 

4-11-2017 BOT minutes

4-11-2017 Northfield Township Board meeting LiveAgenda

REPORTS...

Planning Commission. Chick reported that the Commission discussed a variety of topics including signs, medical marijuana, master plan review, the community park, and downtown strategic plan, and they recommended to the Board not to proceed with the Cobalt community survey. The Board agreed to add this to the next agenda for discussion.

BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS

Comments included scheduling the issue of medical marijuana regulations for an upcoming agenda, notice of May 13th Kiwanis golf outing as a 4th of July Parade fundraiser and the April 15th Easter Egg Hunt, recommending the Northfield Area News and Whitmore Lake News as good sources of information, revising Board agendas, and encouraging the public to contact elected officials and Trustees with any questions or issues related to the Township. Maynes reported The Links of Whitmore Lake withdrew their Tax Tribunal case against the Township

 

7-25-2017 BOT minutes

FIRST CALL TO THE PUBLIC

Catherine Johnson, 7777 Sutton Road, Mary Devlin, 9211 Brookside, Dave Gibbons, 8985 Garfield, David Gordon, 5558 Hellner, Jodi Carbary, 9132 Lincoln, Steven Ries, 9132 Lincoln, and Meredith Counts, 8840 Main, made comments about the videographer position and compensation, the Board’s constituents (residents, not only taxpayers), denial of zoning permits for businesses, medical marijuana, the sewer system, the Township Manager position, and County taxes.

 

8-29-2017 BOT minutes

8-29-2017 Northfield Township Board of Trustees meeting LiveAgenda

FIRST CALL TO THE PUBLIC

Mary Devlin, 9211 Brookside, made comments about the Township Manager, People’s Express, and flooding in Texas. Brant Johnson, Okemos, representing a Township property owner, spoke about medical marijuana.

SECOND CALL TO THE PUBLIC

Brant Johnson, Okemos, Bryan Azar, 78998 Dixboro Road, and Jerry Gerry Hermann, 8365 Earhart Road, made comments about medical marijuana usage and allowing related businesses in the Township.

BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS

Board members made comments about taxes, donations to the Township, support for the people of the flooded Houston area, medical marijuana, shopping locally, plans for the Community Park property (including possible private development), and the Downtown Strategic Plan

9-12-2017 BOT minutes

9-12-2017 Northfield Township Board of Trustees LiveAgenda

FIRST CALL TO THE PUBLIC

Chad Marchant, 440 Barker Road, Jack Seacrist, 7140 Nollar Road, and David Gibbons, 8985 Garfield, made comments about a variety of issues including a recent notice of code violation, the North Village project, construction traffic, and allowing medical marijuana businesses in the Township.

 

9-28-2017 BOT Retreat minutes

DISCUSSION ITEMS

1.
Prioritize Goals Identified
at the January Board Retreat

Board members listed possible goals. (Priorities indicated in parentheses).

  • Generate more revenue for the Township, especially by attracting businesses, including investigating the feasibility of renting out space in the Public Safety Building and potential income from billboards and use of liquor licenses. (Chick)
  • Improve communication between Board members, to the Board, and to citizens. (Zelenock)
  • Streamline office processes and lower fees to lower operating costs and citizen expenses.
  • Create a business-friendly development process, including reviewing the fee structure; perhaps assign to the Planning Commission. (Beliger, Dockett, Zelenock, Chick)
  • Look at double-standards and selective enforcement of building codes (Dockett), especially businesses in agricultural areas.
  • Embrace planning that has been done/following the Master Plan. (Zelenock, Otto, Chockley)
  • Encourage residential development in accordance with the master plan. (Chockley)
  • Help existing businesses/revitalize the downtown. (Chick, Chockley)
  • Promote local tourism to help implement the downtown plan.
  • Improve sewer system (Otto, Chockley)
  • Review and update ordinances; perhaps assign to the Planning Commission.
  • Carry out statutory duties as well as possibly can be done. (Beliger)
  • Increase the fund balance. (Dockett)
  • Improve technology; including have a computer/kiosk available for the public, improve the website, improve presentation of documents (e.g. link agenda items to the supporting documents in the Board packet).

Other less strategic items raised included:

  • Make Community Center improvements.
  • Address issue of medical marijuana facilities.
  • Plan initial improvements in the Community Park
  • Develop trails and sidewalks/repair East Shore Drive sidewalk.

 

10-10-2017 BOT minutes

10-10-2017 Northfield Township Board of Trustees LiveAgenda     [CC]

FIRST CALL TO THE PUBLIC

Chad Marchant, 440 Barker Road, apologized for comments he made at the last meeting and asked how he can be useful in the community. Lynn and Steve Lyman, 134 Lake View Avenue, and David Gordon, 5558 Hellner Road, commented on a street name change and whether to marijuana sales should be allowed in the Township,

BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS

Board members made comments about medical marijuana, the change in name of Lake View Avenue, the proposed County millage, donations to the Township, the process of approving business permits, and the Board Retreat.

 

11-28-2017 BOT minutes

11-28-2017 Northfield Township Board of Trustees meeting LiveAgenda     [CC]

FIRST CALL TO THE PUBLIC

Mary Devlin, 9211 Brookside, commented on the issue of Dockett’s pay. Jody Carbary, 9132 Lincoln Drive, Mary Sharp, 8578 Nollar, Adam Olney, 9315 Lakewood Court, Wayne Davidson, 670 Highland, Steven Ries, 9132 Lincoln, David Gordon, 5558 Hellner, and Robert Buono, 9138 Lincoln, spoke in favor of allowing medical marijuana dispensaries in the Township. Linda Keen, who works in the Township, expressed concern about allowing dispensaries.

BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS

Board members made brief comments about medical marijuana and thanked those who commented about it.

CORRESPONDENCE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Board members noted that dozens of comments had been submitted by mail and email about medical marijuana dispensaries, shared a warning from the Treasury Department about fraudulent demands for payments that are circulating, and invited residents to submit applications to serve on the Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Board of Review.

5b.
Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

Board members referred to hundreds of comments from the public about this, noted the issue is whether to allow medical marijuana facilities rather than whether to legalize marijuana, and cited reasons for and against allowing dispensaries in Northfield Township (tax revenue, limits on controls the Township would have over dispensaries, convenience for residents, the illegal federal status of marijuana, etc.).

Planning consultant Paul Lippens provided information about what ordinances would be needed, and Public Safety Director Wagner discussed potential safety and law enforcement issues. Board members noted the issue could be put on a ballot for voters to decide and recreational use of marijuana could be approved in Michigan in 2018.

SECOND CALL TO THE PUBLIC

David Gibbons, 8985 Garfield Drive, apologized to Beliger for comments he made on Facebook and commented on the marijuana dispensary issue and the tax consequences of paying people as employees vs. independent contractors. David Gordon commented on the length of Board agendas and meetings, medical marijuana dispensaries, fire millages, the county millage, and the focus of the Board being on urban vs rural areas of the Township. Adam Olney and Jody Carbary commented on medical marijuana dispensaries and the county millage.

BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS

Board members thanked those who spoke for their comments, urged people to support local businesses, wished everyone a Merry Christmas, noted tax bills will be issued December 1st, noted Kiwanis will be starting its annual Christmas tree sales, reported on options for prescription delivery in the Township, and suggested ways to shorten Board meetings and to increase communication with the public. Aynes responded to questions related to medical marijuana dispensaries.