Citizen speaks out on marijuana issue
By Barb Pert Templeton
The Marine City Commission meets bi-weekly and often has an agenda that exceeds two pages and last’s more than two hours but the Feb. 1, 2024 meeting lasted just under 12 minutes.
Nearly half of that time was spent on the public comments section of the meeting with one resident addressing the commission for a full five minutes.
As the meeting began at 7 p.m. officials followed their usual protocol and held a moment of silent prayer for people in the community who may need it. Then they all stood for the pledge of allegiance.
Local resident Roland Woelkers spent five minutes during the public comments portion of a Feb. 1 meeting of the Marine City Commission to share his thoughts on the city’s marijuana ordinance.
The meeting progressed with the commissions voting to excuse Commissioner Jacob Bryson’s absence from the meeting. It was also noted that City Manager Scott Adkins was also absent.
Next Mayor Jennifer Vandenbossche asked officials to approve the evening’s agenda but only after tabling item 5A and items 11 thru 14 until the Feb. 15, 2024 meeting.
“Due to a serious family emergency of a commissioner that’s just occurred,” the mayor stated.
The commission voted in favor of the mayor’s motion.
The decision removed a planned presentation by the Historical Society of Marine City Endowment Fund and items under both new and unfinished business.
Officials approved the consent agenda which was basically putting specific items into the official record. They included minutes from other city meetings including the TIFA Board and a pair of city pension board meetings. They also okayed a charitable gaming license for the Marine City Civic Women’s Club.
Commissioners also approved some financial business including $175,700 in funding for a Safe Drinking Water Project that will ultimately be paid for with a grant.
Unfinished business that was tabled until the commission’s Feb. 15 meeting included new body cameras for the police department, the second reading of the Adult Use Marijuana Ordinance and an ARPA Fund Allocation Discussion. Under new business the lone item was about seeking approval to have the city purchase new tablets for the commission and staff.
Other sections skipped over were administrative reports and commissioner privilege portions of the agenda.
Resident opposes marijuana shops
During the public comments portion of the Feb. 1 meeting, Roland Woelkers, a 35-year resident of the city stepped to the podium to speak during public comments. He said he’d raised five children who all attended local schools and noted that he’s a retired police chief from Shelby Township.
“One nice thing about Shelby Township, a community of 80,000 people, 35 square miles – we have no pot shops in Shelby Township and we’re not going to have any, anytime soon and there’s lots of good reasons for that so it’s something to think about,” Woelkers said.
There are 2,000 municipalities in Michigan and about 50 of those have marijuana dispensary shops so what do all those places know that Marine City can’t seem to understand, he asked.
“I’m here to speak on behalf of the kids; because when we have a pot candy shop in town with all the bright lights wherever it is, we’re sending a message from our city that we think it’s okay,” Woelkers said.
He went on to say it’s not just kids smoking pot anymore it’s all the edibles, the candy, the bake shops and parents have very little control over any of it. Woelkers said kids bring it in at lunchtime, pass it around and “kids are sitting around school stoned.”
“I’m not opposed to adults having marijuana to smoke, they can go to Chesterfield or Port Huron and they can bring it back but we just don’t need a pot shop or bake shop in town to send that message to kids that it’s okay,” Woelkers said.
He said the commission has been kicking the issue around for a year now and he’s spoken on it many times.
“I was hoping, kinda, things would go away once the commission lost a certain member who was kind of a rabble rouser on the issue but we are getting ready to read the second reading on the ordinance,” Woelkers said. “We just don’t need to take that step we need to step up for the kids and say no.”
“I appeal to you to think about the kids, take off your political hats and think about the kids in town,” Woelkers continued. “We don’t really need this; don’t let them blackmail you with a vote.”
He also noted that the state calls for a 1,000 feet distance for setbacks and they came up with that for a reason and wondered why the city ordinance is calling for just 500 feet for setbacks.
The second reading of the city’s new marijuna use ordinance is expected to be on the Feb. 15 commission meeting agenda along with all the items postponed at the most recent meeting.
