MANCHESTER: VILLAGE EXTENDS MEDICAL MARIJUANA MORATORIUM ANOTHER 90
DAYS AS IT TOUCHES UP ORDINANCE

A moratorium on medical marijuana will continue in Manchester for at
least another 90 days.

The council voted 6-1 to continue with the moratorium, after the
village's attorney recommended some small alterations to the proposed
ordinance crafted by the planning commission and sent to the council
in July.

Trustee Marsha Chartrand was the lone dissenting vote. She said she
wanted to have something in place sooner than later.

"If we have something good, we might as well go with it," she
said.

The proposed ordinance would not allow dispensaries in the village, a
major issue in the state.

The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled last month that patient-to-patient
sales of medical marijuana were not intended in the law, which voters
approved in 2008. The attorney for the dispensary in Mt. Pleasant that
filed the suit says he plans to appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court.

Village Manager Jeff Wallace said the moratorium can last the full 90
days, or until the council adopts an ordinance for the village. He
said the council has also had other issues it's dealt with in recent
weeks.

"You've had some long meetings the last couple of weeks," he said.
"And this has kind of gotten put off. And you've been dealing with
some good ordinance issues."

Other businessThe council signed a proclamation for Trustee James
Dzengeleski, who did not seek election to the council this month. He
will be replaced by Dana Andrews Oct. 1.

"You have put a tremendous amount of time and effort and heart and
soul into doing things," Village President Pat Vailliencourt told
Dzengeleski.

The village signed a contract with the Michigan Department of
Transportation for the M-52 project, which preliminary work is
scheduled to start later this year.

The council also voted to enter into the interlocal agreement with
Manchester Township and the school district to collaborate on gasoline
pumping stations.

Vailliencourt was also named to the committee to select a western
district representative to the new mass transit board for the county.
The western municipalities are tentatively scheduled to meet at 9 a.m.
Oct. 11 at the Manchester Township Hall.