Pubdate: Wed, 10 Aug 2011 Source: Petoskey News-Review (MI) Copyright: 2011 Petoskey News-Review Contact: http://www.petoskeynews.net/forms/lettertotheeditor.html Website: http://www.petoskeynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4115 Author: Steve Zucker, Charlevoix Courier Editor CHARLEVOIX BOARDS TO MULL MEDICAL MARIJUANA MANAGEMENT Four City, Township Boards Will Meet Aug. 22 to Discuss Zoning Regulations Four Charlevoix-area governmental bodies have scheduled a combined meeting for later this month to discuss how they will regulate medical marijuana businesses in their respective jurisdictions. The Charlevoix City Council, Charlevoix Planning Commission, Charlevoix Township Board of Trustees and the Charlevoix Township Planning Commission have scheduled a combined meeting for 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 22, at the Charlevoix City Council chambers at city hall. In a memo about the meeting to the city planning commission, city planning director Mike Spencer wrote, "The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the new Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, and options local governments have concerning regulation of this use. The (city's) moratorium on medical marijuana is set to expire in October. We felt a joint meeting would be best to educate our boards and elected officials and seek input in a public setting prior to staff drafting any regulations." In April the city council voted to extend a moratorium on medical marijuana businesses in the city for another six months to allow city leaders more time to draft regulating ordinances. Charlevoix Township is also in the midst of a similar moratorium. Spencer noted that because of the way the city and township are situated, it makes sense for officials to look at the issue together and look for ways to make their ordinances complementary to each other. At the time the city council extended the moratorium, Spencer said city officials had met with county and Charlevoix Township leaders, the city's legal counsel and other cities dealing with the same issues around the state. He said he is also working with the county's geological information systems department to generate maps that include buffer zones around schools and churches. Spencer explained that much like sexually-oriented businesses, Michigan law does not allow municipalities to completely ban a legal property use from all locations within its borders and therefore the city needs to come up with the best locations for such businesses. Spencer said previously he has fielded some calls from people inquiring about starting a medical marijuana business in the city. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.