COUNCIL EXTENDS MARIJUANA MORATORIUM TO FEBRUARY

The East Lansing City Council unanimously voted to approve an
extension of a current 90-day moratorium that does not allow passing
any ordinances to regulate medical marijuana, to February 2011.

The extension was voted on during council's Tuesday night work session.

The current ban on passing medical marijuana ordinances would have
expired next Monday, but now is extended 90 additional days, said Tim
Schmitt, East Lansing community development analyst. Council can
shorten or extend the moratorium at any time depending on when it is
ready to vote on an ordinance.

"There is still a lot of public input to be had in determining the
best approach," he said.

City staff will work to summarize the communication received up to
this point from various groups and individuals via e-mail, phone and
public comment, City Manager Ted Staton said. After considering
public input, the council should choose an option and receive
comments on a particular ordinance or blend of ordinances, he said.

The extended time will allow for council to receive more input from
individuals in the community and student groups, Mayor Vic Loomis
said. City council has not received formal communication from East
Lansing's neighborhood associations, although the issue briefly was
discussed at a meeting of neighborhood representatives, he said.

ASMSU, MSU's undergraduate student government, and the Council of
Graduate Students, or COGS, soon will formalize opinions by sending
council letters to explain their positions, he said.

"(MSU's Residence Halls Association) did not indicate if they will
formalize a letter," Loomis said. "(ASMSU) will recommend a
liberalized version of ordinance C."

Ordinance C regulates store front dispensaries for medical marijuana sales.

Although council will accept and review any input from student
organizations, it should be made clear there is a distinction between
the city of East Lansing and MSU's campus, Councilmember Nathan
Triplett said. "At some point, (the council) will make a decision
about our approach in the city, and there's a good chance it will be
inconsistent with the university's approach," he said.

The next scheduled hearing about medical marijuana is Dec. 7, Triplett said.

Council also discussed the draft bylaws and draft interlocal
agreement for the Michigan Avenue Corridor Improvement Authority.

The authority will be appointed by East Lansing, Lansing and Lansing
Township to work on the improvement and maintenance of the Michigan/
Grand River Avenue corridor, said Lori Mullins, community and
economic development administrator for East Lansing.

East Lansing is working to set up a board in the city that would act
as a part of the multijurisdictional authority.

"If the bylaws are approved at next week's council meeting, we would
hope to seat board members at the first meeting in December," Mullins said.

East Lansing's board can meet and discuss the corridor prior to the
formation of the Lansing and Lansing Township boards, but cannot move
forward with corridor projects without the full authority in place, she said.