CADILLAC — On the agenda for Monday’s Cadillac City Council meeting is a proposed ordinance amendment that would remove certain existing restrictions on the city’s burgeoning medical and recreational marijuana industry.
According to agenda documents containing the language of the proposed ordinance amendment, “the City wishes to amend Section 10-2 of the City Code to eliminate marihuana license caps for certain establishments, eliminate stacking restrictions for recreational marihuana growers in industrial zones, and allow equivalent licenses to be operated in the same location to the extent permitted by state law.”
A nearly identical ordinance amendment has been proposed for medical marijuana facilities: “the City wishes to amend Section 10-3 of the City Code to eliminate marihuana license caps for facilities other than provisioning centers, eliminate stacking restrictions for medical marihuana growers in industrial zones, and allow equivalent licenses to be operated in the same location to the extent permitted by state law.”
Under the proposed amendment, when a licensee holds equivalent licenses for a single property, each facility or establishment counts as a separate facility or establishment.
Equivalent license means any of the following held by a single licensee: a marijuana grower license of any class, a marijuana processor license, a marijuana provisioning center license, a marijuana secure transporter license; and a marijuana safety compliance facility license.
Currently, the city caps the number of Class A, Class B and Class C growers to one each. It also caps the number of processors, secure transporters and safety compliance establishments to one. The amendment would permit the authorization of an unlimited number of those establishments in the city.
The amendment also would permit stacked grower licenses to be authorized in facilities in the Light Industrial and General Industrial zoning districts. Currently, stacked grower licenses are prohibited in the city.
Council may vote on Monday to set a public hearing for Dec. 6 to collect feedback on the proposed amendments.
Also on Monday, council will choose the next mayor pro tem.
They’ll also consider a request from staff to approve $7,500 to match a grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy to pay for wellhead protection efforts.
According to council documents, the city historically has worked with Fleis and Vandenbrink on wellhead protection matters, including services related to the last round of EGLE grant funding. Fleis and Vandenbrink completed the wellhead protection work for the Crosby Well wellfield site and are currently in the middle of the 44 Road well field site wellhead protection plan.
Council will be asked to authorize Director of Utilities Jeff Dietlin to sign the grant documentation on behalf of the city.
“In addition, because of the historical knowledge based on prior wellhead protection work provided to the City, it is recommended that the City Council waive competitive bidding and appoint Fleis and Vandenbrink to administer the Wellhead Protection Grant,” council documents state.
Total project costs will be $14,500 with 50% of the costs reimbursed by the grant. Funds for this project are available in the FY2022 budget in the Water and Sewer Fund.
The Cadillac City Council will meet Monday at 6 p.m. at the Cadillac Municipal Complex, located at 200 N. Lake St.
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