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Perry trustees say no way to marijuana

PERRY TWP. — Trustees unanimously approved a resolution prohibiting medical marijuana cultivators, processors and retail sellers from locating in the unincorporated areas of the township, earning a round of applause from some Cider Mill Road residents.

“We wanted to make sure the trustees were well informed of how all the residents felt,” Cider Mill Road resident Tom Althouse said Monday, adding they were happy with the outcome.

Surveys distributed by Althouse and another resident were signed by people from 20 residences located in the township on Cider Mill Road — all were opposed to the idea of a medical marijuana grow facility in their area. Althouse said the entire population on that section of road was represented. He pointed out that the survey gave each person a choice, either in favor or opposed, and all opposed.

The residents were reacting to a proposal by a company known as Ohio Leaf Relief, which wanted to establish a medical marijuana cultivation operation on some acreage on Cider Mill Road, not far from state Route 9. Columbus resident Eric Lutsch, a representative of Ohio Leaf Relief, explained that his family owned property on Cider Mill Road and wanted to help the community where he and his siblings grew up by locating a medical marijuana growing facility here.

Trustees had already said they had a proposed resolution prepared to ban medical marijuana businesses, but gave Lutsch an opportunity to speak at the last meeting. They also heard some opposition at that meeting and acknowledged letters and concerns from the Family Recovery Center, and from Columbiana County Sheriff Ray Stone, the former Perry Township police chief, who urged them to prohibit medical marijuana facilities.

Each of the several Cider Mill residents who showed up for this week’s meeting said they were against medical marijuana cultivation.

“This’ll make you happy,” Trustee Chairman Cliff Mix told the crowd before trustees introduced the resolution.

Trustees made no comments about the legislation or their reasoning, but after the meeting, Mix said “I don’t think it’s necessary to have it in the township, no value to us.”

Townships can’t collect income tax, so any talk about getting money from the jobs wouldn’t apply, he explained. As for property tax, he didn’t think they would get much there either since it would be agricultural.

“I’m not against medical marijuana. I was mostly against the location, where he wanted to put it. Lot of residential properties out there,” Trustee Don Kendrick said, specifically addressing the proposal by Ohio Leaf Relief.

Mix said a medical marijuana facility in the township would cost them money, from having more police cost.

Trustee Don Rudibaugh said he had a lot of people contact him and almost all were against medical marijuana facilities, not just from Cider Mill Road but other areas of the township, too. He admitted he had one phone call from someone who favored the idea. Mix said he received one call in favor, too, but most were against.

“I think we have to do the wishes of the people. I think that’s what our job is,” Rudibaugh said. “I don’t have a problem with medical marijuana. It serves a purpose for some people and helps some people.”

All the residents said they were against it, he said.

In other business, Zoning Inspector Allan Wolfgang was instructed to send a letter to a property owner on Depot Road about either repairing or demolishing a dilapidated garage on the parcel which is close to the township maintenance property. Mix said the property is a total mess and they needed to give the property owner a formal deadline for doing something.

Wolfgang also reported issuing seven permits for the month so far and reported that vehicles were either removed or being removed from a Benton Road property and a West Pine Lake Road property that he had been requested to check on for junk vehicles.

The next trustee meeting will be 6:30 p.m. June 12.

mgreier@salemnews.net

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