Lincoln Park Mayor Thomas Karnes (fourth from left), said at the Aug. 5 city council meeting that the city has received verified petitions to initiate a citywide special election Nov. 5 to determine whether to allow marijuana businesses to operate within Lincoln Park’s General Industrial District, as City Council member Larry Kelsey (left), City Attorney Ed Zelenak, City Manager Matt Coppler, City Clerk Kerry Kehrer (fifth from left), and City Council President Donna Breeding listen.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
LINCOLN PARK – A successful petition drive will put a marijuana business proposal before voters in a Nov. 5 special election, Mayor Thomas Karnes said at the Aug. 5 City Council meeting.
The petitions, which were turned in to city hall and verified, would place before voters a resolution which, if approved, will allow marijuana businesses to operate within Lincoln Park’s General Industrial District. The proposal includes secure transporters, safety compliance facilities, cultivation, processing, retail and medical marijuana provisioning centers.
The ballot language states that the city shall issue no more than two licenses for provisioning centers and retail facilities, and one license for each remaining business category.
Operating hours for provisioning centers and retail facilities would be no earlier than 9 a.m., and would close no later than 10 p.m., and would be required to be licensed in accordance with state law.
City Attorney Ed Zelenak said that while the state could change things at any time, at present, city officials are acting in accordance with the current state statute, which allows individuals in a municipality to petition to initiate an ordinance, which would allow a given number of marijuana businesses within a community.
Karnes said the resolution was brought to the Aug. 5 council meeting because it is the last opportunity for the council to approve it before the Aug. 13 deadline for the Wayne County elections bureau for the proposal to be on the November general election ballot.
(Sue Suchyta can be reached at [email protected])