By Shelby Stewart-Soldan
Staff Writer
Ortonville — At the Monday night meeting, the village council granted two conditional marijuana establishment proposals.
Each council member was given a tally sheet to rate all six proposals from best to worst, 1-6, in their own opinion. The two lowest total scores would be granted a conditional approval.
The motion was made to issue the two conditional approvals and authorize the village manager to issue the conditional permits on or before Dec. 8. The motion was passed 4-1, with council member Pat George voting against the issuance of the permits.
“December 8 is important because that is 30 days after the initial application date, which is required in the ordinance,” said village manager Ryan Madis.
The two proposals that were granted were proposal A, which would be at 490 S. Ortonville Road and was previously Country Counter Tops, and proposal C, which would be 456 S. Ortonville Road and was previously Provanco Roofing and Siding. Neither proposal included a drive-thru.
All six applications were scored based on the scoring system outlined in the ordinance, which was passed by a narrow vote in the August election. All six applicants had a final score of 60 points, which necessitated the council to decide which two of the six would be approved. The village ordinance allows for up to two marijuana establishments.
“Nothing is going to happen over night,” said Madis. “This is just the first of many approvals they will need.”
Each proposal included site plans, business models, business information and a community involvement plan.
Proposal A, which was put forth by Pioneer License, LLC DBA Elevate Cannabis, put forth a pledge of $200,000 lump sum up-front to be used at the village’s discretion, given that the applicant be granted a license. Following that, the company would pledge an additional $35,000 annually as long as the proposed location remains as a licensed marijuana facility. This would be in addition to the $5,000 annual application fee, and any tax revenue distributed by the state.
Pioneer License also pledged a community service commitment of 800 hours annually for staff members at the recreational facility to provide volunteer service within the community and at local charitable events.
Proposal C, the applicant Berserker Group LLC, which would open and operate Kief Wellness, pledged a lump sum of $25,000 to the village of Ortonville, and possible additional funds annually. The proposal stated that they would donate $5,000 per year to police, $10,000 to community parks and recreation programs, and $10,000 to public libraries. They also offered as an alternative if the village has the desire to allocate these funds elsewhere to contribute $15,000 annually to the village. This would also be in addition to the $5,000 annual application fee and any tax revenue.
Berserker Group also said that they will sponsor at least every quarter a combination of a guest speaker, a support group and/or literature regarding drug abuse to allow youth and adults the opportunity to discuss concerns, ask questions and be better informed. They also pledged 800 hours annually for staff members to volunteer in the community.
The applicants will also need approvals from the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, the Michigan Department of Transportation as both locations are on M-15, and Oakland County. It could take upwards of a year for locations to open, but the ordinance gives the applicant 18 months from initial approval, and the village can grant an additional 18 months if requested to become operational