About 30 people, who indicated they were Van Buren Township residents and carried medical marijuana cards, attended the April 20 meeting of the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees to lobby the board in favor of medical marijuana.
The board voted unanimously to establish a six-month moratorium on the submission or receipt of applications for any and all township permits, licenses or approvals for the growing, sale, or dispensation of medical marijuana.
In November 2008, Michigan voters approved medical marijuana use in the state, but the state guidelines are a little fuzzy and a requested opinion from the attorney general has yet to be written.
The township has decided to treat the medical marijuana sites as land use/zoning issues and so the moratorium will be used to allow the planning commission and board of trustees time to decide how the township should regulate the growing, sale or dispensation of medical marijuana.
At the board’s workshop session on April 19, Dan Swallow, director of planning and economic development, said some communities in the state are sticking with federal law that says no marijuana, others are following state law and formulating rules for their communities.
VBT Supervisor Paul White said he went to a meeting of the Michigan Association of Township Supervisors and, “This was a hot topic.” He said townships have to decide how many dispensaries they want in their townships, locations, and other issues.
“We have to address it one way or another and can’t outright deny,” Supervisor White said. “Every municipality in Michigan is addressing this.”
As part of the project, Swallow is working on a time line, so the board knows exactly where it is. This also will be more defensible in court if someone claims the township is disobeying the law.
At the regular meeting, a young man who did not identify himself said he just moved to VBT and, “I have a certain illness.” He said the medical use of marijuana is a help to him and others. “Please consider our illnesses.”
Swallow replied that the township is not inhibiting the users and caregivers from getting their cards. The township will be looking at land use issues, he repeated.
Another man, who also did not identify himself, said that he and others are proposing a certification clinic, not a dispensary, where people can be certified for medical marijuana use.
“We now have to go to clinics out of township,” he continued. “The FBI and DEA have scared our regular doctors from certifying us.” He added that 71 people a day are being certified in Michigan.
Trustee Jeff Jahr asked Swallow if the township had received a request and Swallow said there was no official request or application, but there was an unofficial discussion.
Charles Tackett of Van Buren Township said he had approached the township for information on what was necessary to register a co-op clinic.
He said there are 30 patients or caregivers attending the meeting that evening in support of setting up a local clinic.
He said the Veterans Administration system is acknowledging the use of medical marijuana.
Tackett continued: “We don’t have to have a dispensary. We need the patients and caregivers to have a place to go to get certified.”
He said the township told him they don’t have paperwork for such a project.
Tackett said they want the Alpha Group to be recognized and registered.
Trustee Jahr asked if Michigan law requires registration with the local unit of government and Tackett said they only have to register with the state and would not have to register with the township.
“We want to comply with the pure Michigan law and have a place to get together with patients and caregivers and provide for each other … and not have to go to Chicago to do so,” Tackett said.
“You’re telling me I can open a clinic with a doctor?” Tackett asked.
“Wouldn’t that be the same as a doctor opening a clinic and involve land use and certain zoning?” Jahr asked.
“We don’t want you to preclude us from doing what we need to do,” Tackett said, adding, “We’ll proceed with the Alpha Co-op and thank you for your time.”
Another man rose to say that Royal Oak put its marijuana clinic in the business district.
Swallow said the township’s options will be explored. White said the issue will go to the planning commission, there will be a public hearing, and other steps.
“It will take the 182 days to go through the process to protect the patients, the caregivers, the township and everyone,” White said. “That’s why we need the time.”
In other business at the three-hour, April 21 meeting, the board:
* Unanimously approved the low bid of $157,616.50 from Blade Action for the Linda Vista water and sewer connection to the Mission Pointe project, as recommended by the Water and Sewer Commission. The project, in the works for years, will connect the dead end water main on Linda Vista to a stub that was provided from Mission Pointe, as well as installing a gravity sewer main connection to a stub from Mission Pointe that will allow the township to eliminate an old sanitary sewer lift station that currently serves the north end of Linda Vista;
* Unanimously approved the construction administration proposal from Wade Trim engineers for that project, at a cost of $27,500, as recommended by the Water and Sewer Commission;
* Approved hiring EMPCO, Inc. of Troy to test candidates for public safety director, with Trustee Al Ostrowski abstaining from the vote because he knows the senior consultant from EMPCO, Carl Castle (retired police chief of Southgate), who gave the presentation at the workshop session. About 24 candidates applied and this number will be winnowed down by board members individually scoring the applicants in several categories. Cost is expected to be from $7,875 to $11,000;
* Approved unanimously a proposal from Plante Moran, costing up to $10,000, to develop a three-year financial model to help the township board make financial decisions, since there is declining income due to falling property values and cuts to state shared revenue. After development of the longterm road map, township employees will be able to update and use the model in future years;
* Removed from the agenda consideration of a job description for senior director and approval for the supervisor to begin a search for the position. Former senior director, Linda Combs, retired recently and negotiations are ongoing with the senior coordinator;
* Unanimously approved stopping all longevity benefits for new salaried employees as of May 1, with current employees getting the same. The issue will be discussed at upcoming budget session. A motion to freeze longevity benefits for those receiving them and eliminating longevity for anyone hired after May 1, failed 4-3, with Budd, Hart and Jahr voting yes and Wright, Ostrowski, Partridge, and White voting no. There was concern over a newer director who wouldn’t hit the $1,000 cap of other directors if there was a freeze;
* Unanimously approved granting an easement to the City of Belleville Downtown Development Authority for streetscape improvements in downtown Belleville in front of the museum, which is located on township property;
* Unanimously approved an agreement with DTE Energy to supply electrical power to the water tower site at a cost of $12,360.20, with the fee already figured into the project cost;
* Unanimously approved an agreement with Gonczy’s Property Maintenance LLC for grass cutting and related services for enforcement of the grass and weeds ordinance. Gonczy was the lowest of seven bidders; and
* Unanimously approved the attorney’s recommendation in the Arrow Uniform Agreement termination, as considered in an executive session on April 19, regarding litigation.
In the midst of the 4 p.m. work study session on April 19, the board recessed the meeting to go into executive session to talk to its attorney by conference call concerning the sale of the township claim on Visteon, which is in bankruptcy.