By TOM LAVENTURE
Ironwood — The Ironwood City Commission did not act on the city planning commission recommendation to increase the number of available marijuana retail establishment licenses on Monday, with members adding the matter could be revisited after a year or longer.
With the likelihood that the businesses that were tenatively approved for city licenses, pending state of Michigan approval, will not start operating in less than six months, the commission hesitated to establish a date to review the question of adding more licenses. The appropriate time to revisit the question would be during the annual license renewal review process of the businesses, according to city manager Scott Erickson.
Mayor Annette Burchell said she recognized the appeal of increasing licenses with the potential of increased revenue, more jobs and the opportunity for new construction and to rehabilitate blighted commercial properties. However, she reminded the commission of the split decision to approve the initial ordinance.
“We crafted … a conservative ordinance to enter this market to encourage the most competitive and attractive proposals for the community, and that’s what we received,” Burchell said. “I believe that business owners, including those who applied for these retail and micro business licenses, made their investment decisions and proposals based on the parameters of the ordinance, and changing the rules after the proposals were accepted is not fair…
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By TOM LAVENTURE
Ironwood — The Ironwood City Commission did not act on the city planning commission recommendation to increase the number of available marijuana retail establishment licenses on Monday, with members adding the matter could be revisited after a year or longer.
With the likelihood that the businesses that were tenatively approved for city licenses, pending state of Michigan approval, will not start operating in less than six months, the commission hesitated to establish a date to review the question of adding more licenses. The appropriate time to revisit the question would be during the annual license renewal review process of the businesses, according to city manager Scott Erickson.
Mayor Annette Burchell said she recognized the appeal of increasing licenses with the potential of increased revenue, more jobs and the opportunity for new construction and to rehabilitate blighted commercial properties. However, she reminded the commission of the split decision to approve the initial ordinance.
“We crafted … a conservative ordinance to enter this market to encourage the most competitive and attractive proposals for the community, and that’s what we received,” Burchell said. “I believe that business owners, including those who applied for these retail and micro business licenses, made their investment decisions and proposals based on the parameters of the ordinance, and changing the rules after the proposals were accepted is not fair…
