Dowagiac dodged a drug dispensary.

City Clerk Jim Snow advised City Council Monday night that there was interest in opening a marijuana dispensary downtown until Friday’s decision by the Michigan Supreme Court ruled them illegal.

The 4-1 ruling virtually prohibits all retail marijuana sales.

The court said sales or transfers of medical marijuana beyond those permitted for the narrow universe of registered caregivers and their connected five patients violate the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act (MMMA).

 

Ausra farm lease

at airport extended

 

The city since the early 1980s has owned land around Municipal Airport to allow for expansion.

Council extended the lease with Terry Ausra for 147 acres for six years at a new increased rate of $115 per acre with no crop height restriction and $55 per acre with crop restrictions.

The 55 acres of the 202 acres total is restricted to under three feet due to proximity to runway edges.

“He’s done a good job of maintaining the land,” City Manager Kevin Anderson said.

Anderson determined that lease rates for the county of non-irrigated land average $106 per acre, while pasture land (the restricted height land) fell in the $50 to $60 range.

“These rates represent an increase of $35 per acre on both categories of land — $80 to $115 and $25 to $55 — over our previous five-year lease,” Anderson said, “and will increase farm lease income by $6,795.”

 

City applying for

MSHDA grant

 

Michigan State Housing Development Authority is accepting grant applications for infrastructure improvements that Dowagiac would apply to redeveloping property at the corner of Main and Front streets.

The grant application calls for assistance in funding construction of a public parking lot that would support not only the redevelopment project, but downtown as a whole.

The application is due Feb. 15. The request is for $100,000, with the city providing 20-percent local match.

“We are also expecting to hear yet this week about a grant we applied for a couple of months ago,” Anderson said. “That is for design work, engineering for buried utilities and some streetscaping.”

 

Building permit

fees increased

 

Council revised the Building Department fee schedule effective April 1.

A major restructuring of fees occurred in 2000.

At that time it was determined it would be appropriate to annually review and adjust fees in a manner similar to reviews undertaken by other city departments.

“We try to keep pace with inflation,” which means matching the Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 1.7 percent, Anderson said.