McLoud City Council members have voted to approve a specific use permit for a Medical Marijuana Dispensary in their city.
The 4-1 vote came following lengthy discussion on more than one motion made concerning the application.
There were also extensive comments made during a public hearing on the matter that preceded the Council members even taking up the issue for a vote.
The final motion to approve the application and move ahead was made by Mayor Stan Jackson. It drew a second from Vice Mayor Ralph Snider. Joining them in favor were Council members Steven Tomaszewski and Larry Dillon.
Council Member Daniel McClure, Jr., whose attempts to deny the application twice had failed when his motions didn’t receive a second, voted against it.
Following that vote, however, the Council voted unanimously in favor of McClure’s motion, seconded by Tomaszewski, to set restrictions on it.
The dispensary, that is owned by Jessica Smith, the applicant, and will be managed by Jeremy Johnson, will be located at 1289 W. Broadway in McLoud.
The discussions were somewhat contentious during the public hearing and again when the Council members took up the application to vote. That’s because location of the dispensary is within 750 feet of Little Buck-A-Roos Daycare and Preschool in McLoud.
McLoud’s city ordinance prohibits certain types of business operations to be located within 1,000 feet of a school. McClure, the dispensary owners and their lawyers debated extensively over the issue, McClure insisting the daycare and preschool came under that ordinance.
But the owners and their lawyers insisted Little Buck-A-Roos served primarily as a daycare and not as a school.
After that issue was finally settled with the 4-1 vote for approval and the 5-0 vote on setting restrictions, the Council took up the issue of adopting a 60-day moratorium on approval of specific use permits for Medical Marijuana Dispensaries.
McClure made a motion in favor but none of the other Council members made a second and the issue was over.
On another issue, the Council members, without taking any official action, discussed future use of the McLoud Senior Center.
City Manager Buck Day informed the members, “We’ve taken an old refrigerator out and priced another one and the same with a stove. We’ve fixed the water lines and we’ve spent about $7,000 doing that.
“We got some new ceiling plans. We need a new lift chair,” he added.
Dillon commented, “We want to future use it. The improvements are being made, but the seniors aren’t interested in serving meals,” he noted.
On another matter, Dean Hill addressed the Council concerning this year’s Blackberry Festival and the Council then voted to hold the annual festival July 8-9 in the city park.
Council members also voted 3-1 to put basketball goals at the Splash Pad. The mayor made the motion, seconded by Tomaszewski. Joining them in favor was Dillon. McClure voted against it, indicating he thought the city should use part of the $750,000 in ARPA funds they are to receive to put it in a different place.
Snider had stepped away momentarily and didn’t vote on that item.
In his manager’s report, Day said, “We’re ready to start acquiring right of way needed for the new sewer line project.”
He also mentioned to Council members in the near future they need to look at a small increase in water and sewer rates.