VILLAGE OF HOLLY
VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING
July 11, 2017
The regularly scheduled meeting of the Village Council of the Village of Holly was called to order by President Perkins at 7:00 P.M. in the Village of Holly Council Chambers located at 300 East Street, Holly, Michigan.
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Council Members Present
Jim Perkins
Dave Cruickshank
Ryan Shiel
Debra Musgrave
Chris Rankin
Bob Allsop
Suzanne L. Heiple
Excused/Absent
Staff Present
Jerry L. Walker
Deborah J. Bigger
Brian Klaassen
Steve McGee
Katy Hughes
Mike Gildner
Others Present
See attached
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Village of Holly Council July 11, 2017
President Perkins called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM.
Clerk/Treasurer Bigger called the roll.
CONSENT AGENDA
1. Agenda Approval
2. Consideration of the Approval of the Council Meeting Minutes of June 27, 2017.
3. Consideration of the Approval of Warrant 2017-013 in the amount of $26,075.28.
CHANGES TO AGENDA:
President Perkins asked that number 4 on the Consent Agenda be removed.
CM 2017-072 Motion by Cruickshank, second by Heiple to approve the amended agenda.
Roll call vote was as follows:
Voting for: Heiple, Shiel, Musgrave, Rankin, Allsop, Cruickshank, Perkins
Voting against: None
Absent: None
Motion carried.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Rick Powers, 816 Holly Bush, said we are continuing on with the beautification of Cyclone Park. He said they have the non-profit status now. They are moving forward. He said the dog park is out but we are looking at some interesting ideas for the park.
He said they have to follow the guidelines to the letter. He asked if anyone wants to step forward and volunteer. He would like to commend Bob Allsop for taking care of a parking issue near the memorial so quickly.
OLD BUSINESS
None.
NEW BUSINESS
#1 STUDY SESSION
Presentations:
Cannabis Counsel, PLC
Tomas Levine. Cannabis Counsel.
Presentations attached to minutes
Mr. Levine said he would begin with general context. He said he knows this is a highly controversial area. There has been a long history of criminalization of this. The new licenses will clarify that.
The patients don’t always have the chance to meet a caregiver. Provisioning center allows safe access to their medicine.
94-95% of public agree to allow adults to use medical marijuana.
Access illegal drugs. You are not going to see heroin or sales to unlicensed people.
Solving the teen use issue. It is more normalized. It is no longer rebellion.
Legalizing it does not increase teen use.
Alcohol makes you do stupid things. Banter about the IQ of youth. It indicates it does not cause a problem in diminishing the IQ.
In Colorado, fatal car accidents have gone down. They possess no elevated risk of accident.
Cannabis and driving is not an issue. Texting and driving is much more dangerous.
The revenue is significant. The number of licenses you adopt, the more of the State revenue you receive. Shared amongst the cities. Depending on the number of licenses they adopt. It could help out Holly.
Ron Dicico said he is dedicated to the goal. He manages many medical companies and hospices.
Denying them access to these meds, means they would need to travel great distances. In short, it was designed specifically for people in this industry.
Evergreen Consulting and Development
Justin Dunaskiss
Mr. Dunaskiss said they do lobbying at the state and federal level. Evergreen management group. Creating policy and helping with the bills that have been introduced. He is also a planning commissioner in Orion Township. There are numerous communities across the state going through the same thing. We are here to talk about the Village of Holly. He was in Lapeer last night. City of Flint is writing their ordinance. It is really a planning and zoning play. Medical marijuana act was passed in 2008. For that reason, we need to move forward and allow these facilities.
Having fit regulated gives you control. Economic opportunity. The welfare of the folks seeking out that medicine.
Control it and get some revenue from it
You shouldn’t ask yourselves if you should opt in, but why not opt in. If you opt in, you have all the benefits.
With this you have control. 3% access tax placed on the medicine. Goes into an overall pool. Comes down to municipalities share in 25% based on the number of facilities you allow.
Estimated sales tax revenue.
These figures in his opinion are light. Up to $500 annually to defray costs associated with the licenses. So, 500 per license annually in addition. Each facility brings 75 up to 250 per foot to build out the space. Look at regulating market. These are not fly by nights. People with real business plans.
The people they employ make more than minimum wage. The users are the best tenants around.
In untested market, Traverse City, Flint, Grayling The crime rate goes down around these areas. These are the new traffic drivers.
You have to have advance degrees. And a security plan, disposal plan. Good news is they will be heavily regulated. Plenty of oversight. MMLFA, by opting in you gain the control and regulation.
If you don’t opt in, you get all the other stuff. It is not going anywhere. You have a right to grow it in your home.
We have many model ordinances. Communities are calling us. Folks that want to invest. To continue the growth of Holly.
They have to pass the licensing board. If you have the right things, you don’t have to be wealthy. Encourage you to act now. You are not going to see direction from the State. Looking at security testing and transportation. The State will get into signage. You can’t supersede what the State sets. You have that control. Any local law enforcement can go in unannounced at any time.
Happy to answer any questions. He can tell you how other communities are doing. It is a planning and zoning issue.
Commend you on continuing these conversations.
Nick Klempp.
Holly Area Youth Coalition.
Mr. Klempp said he concentrates on youth. Doesn’t want to start a new business. Not someone coming to complain again. He is a certified prevention specialist. He has been in the prevention field for years. He is not against true medical marijuana use. This is not about people who use occasionally. It boils down to unintended consequences and the question of are we sure that we need more when we already have medical marijuana.
Speak to the fact that we already have medical marijuana law, it already exists. This is not going away. The new acts add to that. Anyone can get a marijuana card. People tell truly sad stories. He understands that. He doesn’t have issue with that. Those people didn’t have trouble getting marijuana for their use. There are places where you can go and get your card on the spot. Communitiies all around us have said no and they have said it doesn’t need to expend.
More commercialized industry. Raw crude marijuana. Components that have already given us things. They are already available.
Not one health professional thinks that smoking marijuana is not harmful.
Can be harmful to people with PTSD.
American psychiatric association. No evidence that it is beneficial for any psychiatric disorder. Further research should be encouraged
No medication approved by the FDA is smoked.
They want more research done and these acts do not do that. Anyone that needs medical marijuana can get it now.
People say that they are finding out that marijuana is not as bad. The speaker from the firm said students in Colorado can stay in and get high. Most college students are not old enough to drink.
The potency has grown 10 to 20 times.
Greater effects on our bodies and mind.
More marijuana in public alters the perception of harm.
Young people see it as less harmful. Numerous studies that have been done. Vulnerable to the use of marijuana. Columbia University study showed an increase in states that passed marijuana laws.
We have young people abusing these things. Add another to the mix. Alcohol is the number one abused. It is the most seen. Acceptable. rite of passage. Influx with prescription drugs and urge people to suggest to their doctors what they should get.
Tobacco use is at an all-time low, but it took 100 years to get to that point. Do we want to try that again with another substance? When it is not commercialized, we can make an impact in our community and our youth.
Great impact on youth because our brains don’t stop developing until we are 25. Most damaging to the youth.
2017 studies, specifically memory and cognition. Linked with mental illness, depression and anxiety. Heart disease. It has more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco.
Lowering of IQ. Dropping out of school. Lower quality of life.
Columbia University study show that State with marijuana laws have abuse rates twice as high. Long term marijuana use is addictive. Many people who stop have symptoms of withdrawal.
Sounds extreme, but not the marijuana of yesteryear. More effects on our health and our bodies. We need to ask what do we want or community to be like.
We already have medical marijuana. Not going away. Not needed to be smoked or eaten.
People do want to make money off of it. Not truly help those in need. Should not be about the money. Why do we have to give money for law prevention?
Make this about our community.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Ann Cisco, Cannabis Counsel, asked why we would want to opt in to the state system. It is safer. They are going to illegal dispensaries. Under this act, the safety of marijuana is being tested by LARA.
Establish maximum THC levels and ensure safe preparations. We don’t have any of that now. We really do need a system that will provide a safe product to people that need it. You need to look at the source of the information. If it is from the alcohol industry. What is the control group of the study? You should look at high quality research. Marijuana is being used to get people off of opioids. If you are interested, contact our law firm and she can get information out to you.
Teness Tessens, 119 N Corbin.
Presentation attached to minutes.
Ms. Tessens said she is one of the people against bringing marijuana to Holly. Not limited to public safety and social problems.
People will flock here and increase our traffic and our values. Larger cities start small.
Housing prices to decrease. Cash only businesses. Increased crime. This becomes an enforcement issue. No paper trail to determine cash flow.
Marijuana negatively influences concentration, attention and short-term memory.
Doing nothing is not a viable option. Increasing our police is obvious, but very expensive. Would adding in another task for police leave other areas lacking?
Shawn Grugel, 120 N. Corbin, said he has been in the Village for about a week, but in Holly all his life. He said he has been listening to all the presenters. Marijuana is taboo. He is one of the social media guys. When it comes down to it, it is an ongoing debate. It will rage on and on and on. Not hearing the word perception. If you look at the prescription. We have perception of our town, we need to eliminate the taboo and bring in the positive.
Lisa Clark, 602 S Broad, said as a resident, as a local antique dealer, please think very hard about this. She doesn’t want to see a marijuana dispensary in Holly. We have worked hard to make Holly somewhere people want to visit and move. Once we do it, we can’t undo it She doesn’t want it to be a place where you can go to score weed. Please vote against it. We have a lovely place to live and work that is safe. Please keep it that way.
Joe Binno, 15231 N. Holly Road, said he owns the Hydro store here in town. He has expanded 3 times. On average, he has 3 to 6 people working for him. Has seen many things happen. Many people stop in his business asking if we are a dispensary and where to get marijuana. He sends them to Flint. So, they have to go to a crime filled city. Bring these businesses here. It is already brining good business here. 8 or 9 years doing this business. Have very few kids walking in asking what we do. We donate throughout the whole city from our garden. We have a great majority of customers that come there for that purpose. We were voted in here to have a dispensary. Now you are regulated though the state. There is punishment for doing wrong. Have had conversations with police officers. If no one is doing something wrong, we won’t bother them. Bring business, bring jobs and some benefit and some repercussions and chances for things going wrong.
There is now a system in play and we will follow that if it gets passed in Holly.