OSHTEMO TOWNSHIP SETS RATES FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA FACILITY INSPECTIONS

OSHTEMO TOWNSHIP -- Medical marijuana caregivers growing plants for
others' use in Oshtemo Township will pay $225 to $325 for annual
registration, inspection and licensing of caregiving facilities.

Township Attorney James Porter said the inspection fees -- $50 each for
mandatory building and fire department inspections and an additional
$50 each for electrical and plumbing inspections if the building
official determines those are necessary -- are comparable to
inspections of other facilities.

Applicants will also be charged a $125 administrative fee for the
attorney's time in processing, handling and maintaining applications
and all related paperwork. The paperwork will all be handled by Porter
and will be kept in separate locked cabinets in a locked office.

"We want to make sure we're maintaining the integrity of the system,
that this is private information not accessible to the public and not
subject to FOIA (Freedom of Information Act)," Porter said.

The Oshtemo Township Board of Trustees unanimously approved the fees
at the board's Tuesday meeting. Initially, the township will charge
each applicant $225. If the additional electrical or plumbing
inspections are required, the applicant will then be charged the
additional fees.

The registration and inspection only applies to medical marijuana
caregivers. Patients growing only for themselves are exempt from the
requirement.

Porter said he has received one call inquiring about applications, but
no one has come to the office yet.