HOULTON, Maine — Commercial growers of recreational marijuana are one step closer to being able to open shop in Houlton.
After a lengthy public hearing session Monday evening, Houlton Town councilors voted 4-1 to approve a recreational marijuana commercial facilities ordinance that will allow growers of the plant to open in the town.
Councilors Sue Waite-York, Chris Robinson, Brent Dickison and Raymond Jay voted in favor of the ordinance, while Rosa McNally opposed. Councilor Bill McCluskey recused himself from voting, as he is a medical marijuana grower, and councilor Jane Torres served as chairman for that portion of the meeting. The council chair may only vote in the affirmative to break a tie.
The move did not come without considerable discussion from the public, however, as more than 100 people filled the Houlton town council chambers and two adjacent rooms for a standing-room-only opportunity to speak on the ordinance.
Participants voiced mixed support at Monday’s meeting. Twenty-four individuals spoke during the public hearing, with 14 people opposed to the plan and nine in favor. Houlton Police Chief Tim DeLuca, responding to a request to speak, stated his position as police chief requires him to remain neutral on this subject. However, he did add that without regulation, his department would have no control over enforcement.
Of the nine speaking in favor of the ordinance, two were lobbyists from southern Maine and two others were attorneys representing clients who wish to open facilities in Houlton. Some of the 14 opposing the plan were not residents of Houlton, but were allowed to speak.
Rachel Brewer supported the ordinance. Brewer stated both she and her husband Jason were medical marijuana caregivers who were working with investors on a parcel of land at the industrial park.
“We have put on hold any building until we know for certain that we will be able to have recreational marijuana cultivation in the town,” she said. “We have interested investors who cannot wait any longer for Houlton to go back and forth on this issue.”
Brewer said their new facility alone would represent $250,000-$300,000 of taxable property added to the town.
“Houlton has an opportunity to embrace this new type of business and bring to bring revenue through the purchasing of town-owned land at the Industrial Park, property taxes from new facilities built, as well as a town tax on the sale of all recreational marijuana products,” she said. “If we don’t move forward we risk losing revenue that could be used to fund our schools and our roads.”
Those opposing the ordinance asked the council to not get caught up in the dollar signs at the expense of future generations.
“You think this is economic development, but what it really is going to be is a deterioration of our community,” said Eileen McLaughlin, a registered nurse who resides in Houlton. “It is here, but is it a healthy thing for our community?”
Many of those against the ordinance stated they felt marijuana was highly addictive and a “stepping-stone” to more potent drugs. Those in support of the plan disputed those claims and stated they felt marijuana was not harmful, but helpful, especially for pain management.
Still others believed the public should be able to vote in a town-wide referendum on the subject considering the far-reaching aspects of the decision.
“I think this is too big of a topic for just a small group of our community to vote for,” said Tammy Goetsch. “It could be a positive or it could be a negative. But it is a big issue and the people of this community have a right for this to be a referendum vote. That is what I would like to see.”
“This town needs to be able to vote on this,” agreed Debra Beers, who told an emotional story of how her oldest son died of a drug overdose. “I don’t want [Houlton] to become the drug hub of Aroostook County.”
A straw poll of the audience revealed that 68 members of the audience wanted to see the matter go to a referendum.
Citizens may still petition the town to asking that the matter be brought to a referendum. In order for that to happen, forms must be picked up at the town office and 372 signatures must be gathered and presented to the town clerk by Aug. 23.
The council’s decision is opposite of what other towns in Aroostook County are doing, as many communities have adopted bans to prevent retail marijuana establishments from opening in their towns.
Statewide the decision to legalize marijuana was approved by voters, but in Houlton, the measure did not have the same support. At the polls last November, Houlton residents voted 935 in favor of recreational marijuana, while 1,762 were opposed to legalizing it.
Town Manager Butch Asselin said the ordinance was not something the town took lightly.
-
- The Houlton Town Council chambers were filled to capacity Monday evening as the board listened to public comments on a marijuana ordinance. (Joseph Cyr)
“This ordinance is the final product of our revision committee who worked very hard to put something together,” he said. “It provides oversight on retail marijuana operations and sets a fee schedule for licenses. Social clubs will also be prohibited.”
Councilor Rosa McNally said the issue has weighed heavily on her over the past few weeks.
“I have lost sleep over this and sick to my stomach because I care about the community,” she said. “I have my own personal views. I voted for the commercialization of marijuana, but I hear the people want to have a voice. The decisions I have made as a councilor have been made with the intentions of what I thought was in the best interest of this community.”
All such businesses are on hold until February 2018 while the state develops its own set of rules to govern recreational marijuana businesses.
Under the new ordinance, commercial facilities will only be allowed in the airport or industrial zones or the “area adjacent to Houlton International Airport, the international border, south of Interstate 95 and the U.S. Customs loop.”
No such businesses will be allowed within drug-free safe zones or within 500 feet of a pre-existing private or public school, daycare facility, town park or house of public worship.
The ordinance also lays out security requirements for any such facilities. A commercial or retail marijuana establishment would have to include, at a minimum, lockable doors and windows, including intrusion alarms with audible and police notification components that send an alert directly to or through a second party to the Houlton Police Department.
Such establishments also would be required to have exterior security lighting consisting of spot lights with motion sensors covering the full perimeter of the facility, and video surveillance capable of covering the entire outside perimeter, as well as the interior and all plants cultivated within the facility. The video surveillance system must be operating continuously and the surveillance kept for a minimum duration of 90 days.
