City Council Preview: Medical Marijuana Zoning

After months of discussion, the Coldwater City Council, at its regular meeting Monday night, will consider introducing an ordinance that would allow medical marijuana facilities within the city limits. The ordinance, as written, would allow such a facility as a special use within any zoned area in the city as long as it was not located within 500 feet from a church, licensed child care facility, or residence or residential zone, or 1000 feet from a drug-free school zone. Since the Medical Marijuana Act was approved in 2008, cities across the state have been trying to figure out how to regulate medical marijuana facilities. If introduced, the proposed law would come back for final approval in two weeks.

Also up for consideration Monday night: the first of four resolutions that would seek to renew the special assessments for the maintenance of city-owned parking lots. The first step in the process would notify affected property owners and taxpayers of a public hearing of necessity scheduled for the August 23rd Council meeting. The proposed assessment rolls, its associated public hearing, and final approval is anticipated to take place next month.

The Michigan Department of Corrections will eliminate its Public Works Program effective this coming Friday. According to Coldwater City Manager Jeff Budd, the city and Board of Public Utilities would collectively be losing around 25,000 man-hours, or the equivalent of 12 full-time employees, due to the discontinuation of the program. Budd calculates that the labor cost associated with replacing those man hours to be around $400,000, not including benefits.


NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: AM 1590 WTVB
Copyright: 2010 WTVB

* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
 
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