Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
JOHN TURKAL presides over the planning commission after voting to recommend the city council adopt the Medical Marihuana Facilities Act of 2016, as long as the production is confined to the industrial zone on the western edge of town. The commission voted 3-1 in favor of the recommendation.
By IAN MINIELLY
Bessemer - The Bessemer planning commission met Wednesday evening to discuss whether they would recommend adoption of the Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act of 2016 and they voted 3-1 to recommend to the city council adoption of the ordinance within the western zoned industrial area only. Ultimate authority rests with the city council to accept, modify, or reject the recommendation of the commission.
Members of the commission voting in favor of the 2016 facilities act were Dave Osier, John Turkal, and Bill McDonald. Rob Coleman voted against it.
The planning commission, at the behest of Charly Loper, city manager, addressed some of the implications and how they wanted to recommend Bessemer handle the 2016 law.
-The commission supported not limiting the number of growing operations within the industrial park, opting for the limited amount of land mass to be its own self-limiter.
-The commission also recommended no limits be placed on processing or secure transport, as long as everything stays within the industrial park and behind closed doors.
-The commission also clarified multiple times provision centers, or what people might consider dispensaries, would also be relegated to the industrial park and not anywhere else within the city limits.
-As far as the safety compliance center element of the 2016 law, the commission did not address this as Ironwood is expected to have a safety compliance center.
John Turkal and the commission also want the council to review the above options on an annual basis in the event they need to correct a prior mistake and gain control of a runaway issue. The commission also agreed the fee, which would be collected annually, be set at $5,000 to license, operate, and regulate the above businesses.
Loper asked the commission to address the number of feet between buildings and the commission asked Loper and the building inspector to investigate this issue themselves and make the recommendation to the council, which according to Turkal would also invest Loper, the city assessor and or building inspector to have bi-annual access to the interior of the marijuana facilities to ensure safety and structural soundness, while also properly assessing their value.
During public comment, things got heated between members of the commission, Chandra Portell, and Richard Duncanson. Portell alleged local racketeering, or the operation of an illegal business, is on going between people invested in both Bessemer and Ironwood and that the illegal business is hurting the image of those that want legal and regulated marijuana in the area.
Portell further alleged the sheriff's department is requesting a federal investigation into these potential crimes because of the depth of the people potentially involved and because marijuana is still illegal at the federal level.
