June 3: Cleveland City Council meetings
Covered by Documenters Tina Scott (notes), Aaron Skubby (notes), Stésià Swain (live-tweets) and Ayanna Rose Banks (live-tweets)
A monopoly on weed
Cleveland City Council Member Stephanie Howse-Jones warned that Ohio’s new recreational weed laws will allow monopolies to sprout. She said that licensed medical dispensaries’ ability to apply first for recreational licenses limits sales to a small number of already existing dispensaries. Ohio opens applications for those licenses today.
Howse-Jones raised her concerns during a presentation to City Council on June 3 from Chief City Planner Shannan Leonard on legislation that would change Cleveland zoning laws to allow recreational weed dispensaries in more parts of the city.
Leonard said the state is issuing a limited number of licenses to sell recreational weed, and the number of licenses issued in a given area will be based on population density. She said that following Ohio’s legalization of medical marijuana in 2016, five licenses were issued to dispensaries in Cuyahoga County.
Leonard said Ohio’s Division of Cannabis Control’s social equity and jobs program should give minority entrepreneurs priority for licenses to sell weed recreationally. The program is a component mandated by Issue 2, which Ohio voters passed last November, legalizing recreational use of weed by people 21 and older.
Howse-Jones countered that since the state law only allows for a limited number of businesses to have a recreation license at any given time, there will be few opportunities for new businesses – or people already selling weed without a license – to obtain a license when applications open up to the general marketplace in September.
Neon lights and ugly signage
Another concern about dispensaries in Cleveland? Ugly signage. Council President Blaine Griffin and Council Member Michael Polensek said that smoke shop windows are cluttered with signage and neon lights that did not win city approval. They want to ensure new weed dispensaries don’t follow suit.
Leonard said that more zoning enforcement officers are being hired. Window signage should not exceed 25% of window space, she said.
Legislative marathon
Despite these reservations, City Council passed the legislation unanimously.
It also passed more than 50 additional pieces of legislation in its last meeting before summer break. They included:
- Updating streets: A $2.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for safety improvements along St. Clair Avenue in Wards 8, 9 and 10.
- Federal funding: $28.3 million of federal funding for community development. Part of the money is set to fund the implementation of Cleveland’s 10-Year Housing Plan and the Storefront Renovation Program.
- Buckeye Road: A $3.9 million forgivable loan to Burten, Bell, Carr Development for costs associated with the Buckeye Road Commercial Corridor Revitalization and Stabilization. The initiative is intended to revitalize 10 “vacant and distressed mixed-use commercial buildings and parking lots.”
Read the notes from Documenter Tina Scott:
Read the notes from Documenter Aaron Skubby:
Read the live-twee thread from Documenter Stésià Swain:
Read the live-tweet thread from Documenter Ayanna Rose Banks:
