The board of trustees heard a proposal for a potential dispensary in the township in its meeting Monday.

The trustees were addressed by Michael Dombrowski, owner of Mike’s Meds and More, and township resident Cindy Slavens regarding a possible dispensary. Dombrowski and Slavens have been amongst the voices urging the city of Salem to permit a dispensary within city limits in recent months, an issue which the members of the city council said still had too many unknowns to make a formal decision when last discussed in a July 8 meeting of the committee of the whole.

Dombrowski said that several potential locations for a dispensary in the township had already been identified, and that the potential tax revenue could benefit the township. He also said that he still has many customers at his existing pharmacy business seeking medical marijuana products who are forced to travel to other communities to obtain them.

“The problem I’m having in Salem is that I have hundreds of people looking for the products and veterans seeking medication and having to drive to get it. They can go to Alliance now but previously they had to drive to Youngstown or East Liverpool which is hard for them in the winter,” said Dombrowski.

Dombrowski said that while he would look to cater primarily to medical marijuana needs that the licensing for medical and recreational sale “goes hand in hand” and would inevitably have some amount of recreational sales. He said that in addition to his existing pharmaceutical experience and customer base, he felt he was a good candidate to own a dispensary in the township because as a local he could work to meet the township’s needs and desires from the dispensary. He also noted that he is not personally in favor of high potency THC products and could limit the potency levels of what the dispensary carried compared to others in the area.

“There is legitimate need, and there is a legitimate benefit from it,” said Dombrowski.

Slavens said that as a card-carrying medical marijuana user for chronic pain management she was very familiar with the realities of marijuana dispensaries and their clientele. She stressed that while concerns are often raised about loitering or “what kind of people are hanging around” at dispensaries, that those concerns were unsubstantiated in her experience at several dispensaries. Rather, people pick up their orders and go home. She also said that their clientele is typically working professionals, a point which Dombrowski echoed, noting that many were medical professionals, veterans, and priests.

Trustee Tony Ieropoli said that he was not against a dispensary, but that the potential location may require some discussion. Board of Trustees Chair Steve Bailey thanked Dombrowski and Slavens for their time and for discussing the possibility with them.

The trustees also approved of a motion to send Firefighter Aaron Constantino to Firefighter 2 class at the Mahoning County Career Technical Center for $950 which will be reimbursed from the state firefighter’s grant upon completion of the course. Bailey also announced that the trustees would be meeting with Salem’s City Council to discuss a formal intergovernmental agreement to outline terms for future annexations during its special meeting in city council chambers at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

During his report Ieropoli said that the road department had prepared the pad for the upcoming construction of the township’s new salt storage barn, and that chip and seal for the township should be coming “in the next few weeks” weather permitting with this year’s list including: West Perry Street, Liberty Street, Jones Drive, Hartley Avenue, Andrew Avenue, Elrond Avenue, Overlook Drive, and Prospect Street and the extension.

The board of trustees will meet next at 4 p.m. on Aug. 11.