City of Belleville expects to opt out of recreational marijuana businesses

Members of the Belleville City Council received information in their packets from the city attorney on the new law approving recreational marijuana and marijuana businesses.
But nothing on the subject was on Monday’s city council agenda, so Planning Commissioner Mike Renaud suggested they put it on the Council Follow-Up List to remind them to consider it in the future.
City Manager Diana Kollmeyer pointed out the council had information in their packets. She said city attorney Steve Hitchcock will come to do a presentation to the board at a future meeting.
“We will have to opt out at one point,” said City Manager Kollmeyer.
It was pointed out the city already has an ordinance for medical marijuana, but this is recreational marijuana that needs other action.
Under the new state law, approved by voters Nov. 6, a municipality must pass a resolution to opt out of being a site for dispensaries or the state considers it as opting in. The deadline for opting out is unclear.
At a Nov. 13 work/study session Van Buren Township board members unofficially decided to opt out for now and possibly opt in in the future. The board is expected to pass a resolution opting out at a December meeting.
Sumpter Township attorney Rob Young told the Sumpter board at a special meeting on Nov. 20 that he would gather information on the issue for them and share it at an upcoming meeting.
Mayor Kerreen Conley said Renaud had a good idea and it will be placed on the Council Follow-Up List.
In other business at the 36-minute meeting, the city council:
• Approved city council meeting dates for 2019, most on the first and third Mondays at 7:30 p.m. Because of holidays, the following meeting dates are on Tuesdays: Jan. 22, Feb. 19, and Sept. 3;
• Approved Richoh USA’s bid for a unit to replace the present 2009 copier/scanner/fax machine on a 60-month lease at $125.85 per month and a $1 buyout at the end of the lease, as recommended by Clerk/Treasurer Sherri Scharf. This purchase is from the current vendor, chosen by Scharf over three other bids. The 2009 machine now in use reportedly kicks on by itself when nobody’s around, makes noises and flashes lights. It will be disposed of through the city’s surplus disposition policy;
• Approved annual permits with Wayne County for road maintenance, pavement restoration, and special events;
• Approved accounts payable of $163,361.70 and the following purchases in excess of $500: to Mosaic Bld. Group, $12,508 for escrow fund/demolition; to Blue Ribbon Contracting, $7,725.25 for water main break; to Oakland County, $4,069 for CLEMIS usage fees; to Wayne County, $3,115 for lodging in the Dickerson jail facility; to Michigan CAT, $2,031.63 for backhoe service for streets/water; to State of Michigan, $1,338.05 for MDEQ fees; to Great Lakes Towing, $791 for towing fees (revenue held in misc. acct. from auto auction – used to pay towing fees); Dorsey Emergency Med., $775 for MFR training for fire dept.; to SEMCOG, $755 for annual dues; and to TNT Tree Service, $625 for dead tree on N. Liberty and $600 for dead tree on Bedell;
• Heard DPW Director Rick Rutherford remind residents that when four inches of snow falls the mayor will call a snow emergency and people will have to move their vehicles off the streets so the DPW can clean the streets. Also, once two inches of snow is on the sidewalks, people will have to remove the snow. “I’m not ready for snow, but we’d better get ready,” Rutherford said;
• Heard Councilman Tom Fielder report that the Parks and Recreation Commission met earlier that day and Kiwanis will come to the council for a flag project. Also, there are openings on the commission and people can apply. He said the Chamber of Commerce’s Tree Project should be up in Victory Park this week end; and
• Went into closed-door session to discuss pending union negotiations.
205 Roland St.
At the end of the regular meeting, Jonathan Myers approached the seated council members and talked to them quietly. Later, he sent an email to the Independent saying he wanted to share with the public what he told them:
“The house fire, covered in your paper in early April, continues to cause my family no end of grief. We’ll finally start foundation work tomorrow, weather permitting.
“I offered a personal statement of appreciation from my family for the support shown by city residents during these last 6+ trying months.
“I wanted to speak up during the citizen comments to especially recognize Rick Rutherford, without whose assistance we’d not have gotten to this point.
“We hope to have our home back in our community by the Spring. We’re unable to rebuild it to original, but hope to do its memory justice.”