We have a special council meeting Monday night in that we honor the tenure of Rodney Lloyd as Coopersville’s Mayor from November 2013 to April 2017. Representative Roger Victory will be on hand to present former Mayor Rodney C. Lloyd with an Honorarium. The city will also present Mr. Lloyd with a gift of appreciation for his outstanding service to the city and its citizens. Mr. Lloyd had to step down as mayor because his residency changed from the City of Coopersville to Wright Township. I want to thank Mr. Lloyd for his service, his dedication, and his enthusiasm for this community and for the voters that placed him there and the trust that was bestowed to him.
Running for public office and serving in an elected position is one of the basic tenets of our form of government. I applaud those that choose to serve in an age where other events, responsibilities, and social distractions vie for everyone’s time and attention. Late night workshops, personal appearances at city events, and of course council meetings can put a strain on one’s personal and professional life. But as I have witnessed, there is a personal commitment to the betterment of Coopersville and it is reflected by those that “serve” not only on city council but on the Planning Commission, the Downtown Development Authority Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, and others. Elected and appointed officials are the foundation to the continuation of this endeavor called local government.
As Coopersville continues to grow economically, it fortunately has kept its essence as a friendly community with a rich tradition and a desire to continually improve its quality of life. Those that serve can take significant pride in this fact as they have influenced the energy that has made it a reality. So again, thank Mr. Lloyd for your service, and thank you to all the other elected and appointed individuals that continue to respect and love this community.
As a reminder, the NEO-Forum Golf Outing is scheduled for Saturday, June 17 at Western Greens Golf Course, just southeast of Coopersville on Johnson Street. This golf outing is a “scramble” so don’t be too intimidated if you are not a good golfer or not a golfer at all. It’s really a great day of fun, an outstanding catered lunch, and a chance to receive some very nice gifts. Above all else, the golf outing is a fund raiser for the NEO Forum, a program that provides “counseling services, education, support and resources to youth in order to reduce substance abuse, violence, juvenile delinquency and other risky behaviors. The NEO Forum staff is a unique combination of a full-time counselor and an on-site Sheriff Deputy who work closely with the school personnel and community members to help our youth.” Hope to see you there, but if you have conflicts please consider sponsoring a “hole” where your name or business will be placed at the “tee-box.” Sgt. Dennis Luce has all the particulars plus there is a brochure enclosed in Council Information.
As always, please have an enjoyable weekend now that decent weather has enveloped us. See you all Monday night; be SAFE out there!
Medical Marijuana Dispensary Discussion
There is a meeting at the Pinnacle Center in Hudsonville June 20, 2017 from 1:00 – 5:00 PM for township officials and city council members. There are a couple of keynote speakers as well as a panel discussion on the subject of Medical Marijuana that include County Prosecutors from Ottawa, Muskegon, and Allegan Counties, as well as the WEMET Section Commander. If you are interested, seating is limited so please contact me or Anisa Williams and we can register you; free to attend but you must register.
REPEAT: Medical Marihuana (marijuana): Jonathan Seyferth
Due to scheduling conflicts the May 15, 2017 medical marijuana presentation was cancelled and is tentatively rescheduled for June 19, 2017 at the next Planning Commission. The public is always welcome.
Over the next few months we are going to engage in a long-term and slow education process on Michigan’s new medical marihuana law. That education process will include hearing from groups on both sides of the topic. At the conclusion of that education process (likely in June or July) the City Council and Planning Commission can then decide if it would like to tackle any changes to the city’s current medical marihuana ordinance.
This is being precipitated for two different reasons. First off, in December 2016 the state legislature passed a new law regarding commercial activities related to medical marihuana. This change authorizes five different type of commercial activities that can be engaged in when explicitly allowed by a municipality. Secondly, the city has received requests that the city consider allowing one or more of those five activities.
Our current ordinance regulating medical marihuana, which is found in Section 1280.21 – prohibits any commercial activity related to medical marihuana. This was put into place in July 2013. Several communities throughout the state enacted similar ordinances in the absents of clear state action on the topic.
The state’s new law, the Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act (PA 281 of 2016) will come into effect in December 2017. The delay on implementation is to allow communities to determine what (if any) of the five activities they’ll allow and to allow the state to develop permitting for these activities.
The Michigan Municipal League (MML) has produced a few brief documents on the topic, I’ve included those for your reading pleasure. The MML memos outline the five activities and provides a FAQ sheet on the topic.
The good thing about the new state law is it gives municipalities a lot of flexibility. 1. Communities do not have to explicitly outlaw medical marijuana facilities – it’s an opt in law. 2. It’s not an all or nothing thing, a municipality can choose which of five activities to allow and how many of each it would allow (again, if any at all).
REPEAT - Muskegon Waste Water Treatment Plant Option
Nothing new to report at this time. There have been some rumblings as to possible funding mechanisms, but nothing of any substance. As information becomes available, and is sharable, I will keep members of this council. Please contact me if you have comments or require answers to questions.
Water Project Phase I
SEE AGENDA ITEM 8. A.
REPEAT - Master Plan Update: Jonathan Seyferth
We are nearing the end of feedback window on the draft master plan which has been ongoing since mid-February. The end of the feedback window back in March started a timeline that, if all goes according to plan, should allow the master plan to be considered for final adoption in July.
The timeline is as follows:
A draft and executive summary of the Master Plan can be found at www.plancoopersville.com. Updates and comments on the final draft will also be accepted on the website.
Running for public office and serving in an elected position is one of the basic tenets of our form of government. I applaud those that choose to serve in an age where other events, responsibilities, and social distractions vie for everyone’s time and attention. Late night workshops, personal appearances at city events, and of course council meetings can put a strain on one’s personal and professional life. But as I have witnessed, there is a personal commitment to the betterment of Coopersville and it is reflected by those that “serve” not only on city council but on the Planning Commission, the Downtown Development Authority Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, and others. Elected and appointed officials are the foundation to the continuation of this endeavor called local government.
As Coopersville continues to grow economically, it fortunately has kept its essence as a friendly community with a rich tradition and a desire to continually improve its quality of life. Those that serve can take significant pride in this fact as they have influenced the energy that has made it a reality. So again, thank Mr. Lloyd for your service, and thank you to all the other elected and appointed individuals that continue to respect and love this community.
As a reminder, the NEO-Forum Golf Outing is scheduled for Saturday, June 17 at Western Greens Golf Course, just southeast of Coopersville on Johnson Street. This golf outing is a “scramble” so don’t be too intimidated if you are not a good golfer or not a golfer at all. It’s really a great day of fun, an outstanding catered lunch, and a chance to receive some very nice gifts. Above all else, the golf outing is a fund raiser for the NEO Forum, a program that provides “counseling services, education, support and resources to youth in order to reduce substance abuse, violence, juvenile delinquency and other risky behaviors. The NEO Forum staff is a unique combination of a full-time counselor and an on-site Sheriff Deputy who work closely with the school personnel and community members to help our youth.” Hope to see you there, but if you have conflicts please consider sponsoring a “hole” where your name or business will be placed at the “tee-box.” Sgt. Dennis Luce has all the particulars plus there is a brochure enclosed in Council Information.
As always, please have an enjoyable weekend now that decent weather has enveloped us. See you all Monday night; be SAFE out there!
Medical Marijuana Dispensary Discussion
There is a meeting at the Pinnacle Center in Hudsonville June 20, 2017 from 1:00 – 5:00 PM for township officials and city council members. There are a couple of keynote speakers as well as a panel discussion on the subject of Medical Marijuana that include County Prosecutors from Ottawa, Muskegon, and Allegan Counties, as well as the WEMET Section Commander. If you are interested, seating is limited so please contact me or Anisa Williams and we can register you; free to attend but you must register.
REPEAT: Medical Marihuana (marijuana): Jonathan Seyferth
Due to scheduling conflicts the May 15, 2017 medical marijuana presentation was cancelled and is tentatively rescheduled for June 19, 2017 at the next Planning Commission. The public is always welcome.
Over the next few months we are going to engage in a long-term and slow education process on Michigan’s new medical marihuana law. That education process will include hearing from groups on both sides of the topic. At the conclusion of that education process (likely in June or July) the City Council and Planning Commission can then decide if it would like to tackle any changes to the city’s current medical marihuana ordinance.
This is being precipitated for two different reasons. First off, in December 2016 the state legislature passed a new law regarding commercial activities related to medical marihuana. This change authorizes five different type of commercial activities that can be engaged in when explicitly allowed by a municipality. Secondly, the city has received requests that the city consider allowing one or more of those five activities.
Our current ordinance regulating medical marihuana, which is found in Section 1280.21 – prohibits any commercial activity related to medical marihuana. This was put into place in July 2013. Several communities throughout the state enacted similar ordinances in the absents of clear state action on the topic.
The state’s new law, the Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act (PA 281 of 2016) will come into effect in December 2017. The delay on implementation is to allow communities to determine what (if any) of the five activities they’ll allow and to allow the state to develop permitting for these activities.
The Michigan Municipal League (MML) has produced a few brief documents on the topic, I’ve included those for your reading pleasure. The MML memos outline the five activities and provides a FAQ sheet on the topic.
The good thing about the new state law is it gives municipalities a lot of flexibility. 1. Communities do not have to explicitly outlaw medical marijuana facilities – it’s an opt in law. 2. It’s not an all or nothing thing, a municipality can choose which of five activities to allow and how many of each it would allow (again, if any at all).
REPEAT - Muskegon Waste Water Treatment Plant Option
Nothing new to report at this time. There have been some rumblings as to possible funding mechanisms, but nothing of any substance. As information becomes available, and is sharable, I will keep members of this council. Please contact me if you have comments or require answers to questions.
Water Project Phase I
SEE AGENDA ITEM 8. A.
REPEAT - Master Plan Update: Jonathan Seyferth
We are nearing the end of feedback window on the draft master plan which has been ongoing since mid-February. The end of the feedback window back in March started a timeline that, if all goes according to plan, should allow the master plan to be considered for final adoption in July.
The timeline is as follows:
- Late June – The 9-week feedback window will close in late June which is also the June Planning Commission meeting date.
- July 17 – The Planning Commission would hold a Public Hearing on formal adoption of the master plan – step one in a two-step adoption process. If approved by the PC, it is sent to the City Council for final adoption.
- July 24 – At the second City Council meeting in July, the City Council will be asked to take the second step in the process with a final adoption of the master plan.
A draft and executive summary of the Master Plan can be found at www.plancoopersville.com. Updates and comments on the final draft will also be accepted on the website.
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