NEW FIRE LIEUTENANTS SWORN IN … Swanton Mayor Neil Toeppe, left, swears in new Fire Lieutenants Jeffrey Dawson (center) and Sean Griewahn (right) during Monday’s meeting of the Swanton Village Council.
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
The Swanton Village Council has passed a new ordinance banning all marijuana cultivation and dispensaries with the intention of ratcheting the ban back once state regulations are in place.
According to the ordinance, “the cultivation of marijuana (including but not limited to medical marijuana), processing of marijuana, wholesale of marijuana, marijuana retailers and marijuana dispensaries are prohibited in the Village of Swanton.”
During discussion on each of the three votes on the ordinance, Mayor Neil Toeppe reiterated and council members reaffirmed their agreement on an underlying plan to craft a superseding or replacement ordinance allowing but strictly controlling the practices once the state has issued its official regulations on the matter and the village has had the opportunity to research the impact of different regulations in other communities where marijuana has already been legalized, such as in Michigan.
Toeppe said he has been informed that it will be seven months to a year before the state issues the regulations that will allow the industry to advance in earnest.
Until those rules – governing things like permitting and taxes – are in place, the only real impact of legalization is the authorization for residents to possess and use marijuana on an individual, personal basis.
When the village does draft a new ordinance, it is expected to cover such issues as how many dispensaries can exist within city limits, what areas they can locate in, and how far they must be from things like schools, churches, and daycare facilities, among other concerns.
At least one public hearing will also be held to gather input from village residents regarding what they would like the rules to be.
“I referred that to the plan commission … for them to research it and then come back and make a recommendation to council as to the number of dispensaries we might have here,” Toeppe said.
“One of the commissioners had looked into … nationwide how many dispensaries you have per 100,000 people. I believe his number was three-point-some dispensaries per 100,000 people.”
With Fulton County only being home to roughly 42,000 people, he said, the village would likely only support one or two dispensaries.
Council Member Mike Disbrow shared another factor he thought should be considered – the potential positive impact of out-of-town visitors to dispensaries spending money at other businesses in Swanton.
“My concern is if we don’t make a decision on this and find where there’s been harmony and balance on this between the community and these shops, they can go to [another] town right near here,” Disbrow said.
“I know we’re not getting a percentage of tax dollars, but there’s a chance they’re going to stop and they’re going to get fuel, they’re going to hit Kroger and pick some things up, they might hit McDonald’s, whatever the case is, and still be spending some money in this area.”
OTHER BUSINESS
Toeppe swore in new Fire Lieutenants Jeffrey Dawson and Sean Griewahn. The council passed on first reading a resolution to make changes to the employee holiday pay policy indicating that employees who call out the day immediately prior to or following a holiday will not be eligible to receive non-worked holiday pay for that holiday.
Exceptions will be made for pre-scheduled vacation time, if the employee appears for work and is sent home ill by their supervisor, or in certain situations where they provide documentation from a medical professional.
Additional measures to be voted on and given final passage on first hearing were removed from the agenda and set for the next meeting due to a lack of necessary quorum as council members Derek Kania and Joe Schmidt were absent. In order to give final approval to items on first reading, five council members must be present to vote.
The next council meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, February 12.