The second reading and final adoption of an ordinance to regulate and license aspects of Medical Marijuana cultivation, use, and distribution was passed by the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees at its regular meeting Aug. 23.
State voters passed the Medical Marijuana law in 2008 and governments across the state have been figuring out how to handle it in their communities.
Sumpter now will issue a license, at a cost of $750 a year, for premises where there will be possession, cultivation, distribution or other assistance in the use of marijuana. This is a place other than where the patient has his/her principal residence.
[The full ordinance is printed in today’s Independent.]Resident Mary Ban said she listened to Attorney General Bill Schuette talk about the Medical Marijuana law on the Frank Beckman show on WJR radio. Ban said Schuette had some concerns, such as a child being around patients or caregivers using marijuana and that it shouldn’t be near a school or church.
Schuette also mentioned that people receiving marijuana should not be driving, which is not addressed in the Sumpter ordinance, Ban pointed out.
Ban said Schuette also ask what if a caregiver is a convicted felon?
She said these questions and others are supposed to be addressed by the Michigan legislature.
Sumpter attorney Rob Young, who prepared the ordinance, said the law says the caregiver’s license is denied if the person had a drug-related felony.
As it relates to driving, Young said, marijuana is still a controlled substance.
But, he said, the Act is silent on the children.
“Children sit around people who drink,” Young said. “I don’t know what to do about this.”
Young said he believes Police Officer John Toth will be assigned the job of “expert” on narcotics and would go out and inspect what was there.
He reminded those present at the meeting that “two out of three of us approved this,” referring to the overwhelming voter approval of the Medical Marijuana Act.
“I predict in the next few year the Medical Marijuana law will be changed more than any other law in the past,” Young said.
Trustee Peggy Morgan clarified that if the board approved the ordinance that evening that people growing medical marijuana would have to come down to the township to get a license. It is not grandfathered, she emphasized.
“We have a right to know if you’re a caregiver what you’re growing where it is, how much,” Young said.
While the first version of the ordinance set $500 as the application fee, Young said a more appropriate amount is $750 and so that was changed in the final version of the ordinance.
In other business at the Aug. 23 meeting, the township board:
• Reluctantly approved 20% increases in water and sewer rates, effective Sept. 1. Auditor Ron Traskos said the last time rates were raised was in 2009 and the new rates reflect a little bit of catch-up for 2010, expected hikes in rates from the City of Detroit (water) and YCUA (sewer), new water/sewer debt service kicking in, and a reduction in the number of customers. There also is a new fee of $15 per quarter for grinder pump service for those having sewer service;
• Heard attorney Young say that the township is going after trailer parks with a very intensive program to get past-due sums for water and sewer. He said an agreement to with Rawsonville Woods to pay $27,000 was signed earlier that day to bring it up to date. Young said this is Step Three in an effort to collect from Holiday Woods and Sheldon Futernick. Scott T. Clein, executive vice president of Giffels-Webster engineers, was introduced at the meeting. Clein has already begun gathering information on the commercial users and trailer parks. He is working for Sumpter at a reduced rate;
• Approved paying up to $2,000 total to send six people to the Parks & Recreation Convention Nov. 4-6;
• Approved setting the 2012 Sumpter Country Fest for Memorial Day weekend. Interim chairman Don Swinson said they wanted to get an early start on plans for the festival. Trustee Peggy Morgan said there is $51,418.31 in the Parks & Rec. account;
• Heard Young announce that since the board approved going to court to get the gate removed from Willis Court at the cemetery, “a number of matters came up on Willis Court.” He said after reviewing documents and talking to residents, he said it probably is a good idea to do a land survey of Willis Court, the cemetery, and the county road right of way before proceeding. The board approved a survey at a cost not to exceed $4,000. Trustee Peggy Morgan asked if the board is found to be in the right, would the court order the repayment to Sumpter for the money they have had to spend and Young said he would ask the court for that;
• Approved signing an agreement with DTE for a street light at Rawsonville and Judd;
• Approved paying Mark Miles $1,800 for labor to enclose two porta johns at Graham and Banotai parks, paid out of the Wayne County Parks grant. Deputy Supervisor Craig Moody said he would get the court workers to paint the structures, this year;
• Approved accepting the lowest of five bids of $9,858 from Paul Atkins/PSR Construction for community center improvements to be paid out of federal Community Development Block Grant funds;
• Approved allowing residents to use the community center gym at no charge for funeral luncheons to include the immediate family members and in-laws if the deceased is not a resident;
• Learned the Don Rochon Memorial Car Show and USA Demolition Derby is set for Sept. 18 at the Sumpter fairgrounds and the Belleville Area Council for the Arts Quilt Show will be Sept. 10 and 11 at the Wayne County fairgrounds;
• Learned from Mary Ann Watson that 32 Sumpter senior citizens participated this year in the Senior Olympics, winning nine gold medals, nine silver medals, seven bronze, and other awards;
• Heard Kim Deweyer said she was disappointed that none of the township officials were at the Senior Olympics to represent Sumpter. “Next year we want to see you all there,” she said, adding there has been a cut to funding for the county meals on Wheels program and there is a six-month waiting period for service, so people should help their neighbors;
• Heard Ban say she feels it is an affront to Sumpter Township for the Belleville Area District Library Board to hold meetings on the same night as Sumpter Township Board of Trustee meetings; and
• Heard Ellen Bonter introduce herself and her husband. She is the new superintendent of the Lincoln Consolidated Schools and a new resident of Sumpter Township. They were welcomed to the community.