POLAND — Selectmen said Thursday they needed to learn more about the legal ramifications of retail and recreational marijuana in Maine before a town committee is created to formulate a town policy.
Board members Joe Cimino and Mary-Beth Taylor and Town Manager Matthew Garside said they plan to attend a workshop July 10, sponsored by the Maine Municipal Association.
Lawyers from one of Maine’s leading law firms will discuss legislation that regulates the sale of marijuana in Maine, approved May 2.
Cimino said the state has “put out very, very extensive guidelines, which is very surprising, on what it’s going to do, as opposed to what it’s not going to do.”
“This is one of biggest pieces of legislation that the state of Maine is going to see in decades to come,” he said.
Added Taylor, “This is such a big thing and a big decision, whether we get the input now or we get it later, because we don’t want to be going back to the town” to put the policy off for another year.
Selectman Suzette Moulton said the policy has to “establish clear rules in Poland.” Moulton said Poland needs to be proactive and develop a policy on “what we will allow and won’t allow, and maybe be a little ahead of the curve.”
Moulton said the policy established by the town will involve all phases of the marijuana industry — including growth facilities, storefront retail shops and social clubs.
Taylor said the committee should be made of “a good cross section” of residents.
“It will it be hard to find a diverse group,” Chairman Walter Gallagher said. “I think you can find groups for and against pretty easily.”
In other matters, Garside explained the funding strategy for the planned municipal complex, which is still in the design phase and could cost up to $192,000.
The plan, designed by HEB Engineers Inc. of Bridgton, connects Ricker Library, Poland Town Hall and the town’s office buildins with a continuous asphalt parking lot with two entrances.
Garside believes the money could be taken from the town’s fund balance and paid back in several annual installments from revenues, without incurring an increase in the property tax rate.
“I don’t even know why we are talking about the money aspect because we’re at $190,000,” Cimino said. “Let’s give that back to the taxpayers more as a tax rebate before we go spending more money to these people (HEB Engineers Inc.). I didn’t think anybody wanted to spend money on this thing.”
Cimino also wanted to know why HEB representatives had not contacted the Planning Board to see if the design meets the town’s land use code, particularly with regard to snow removal from the parking lot.
Garside said that as part of the design phase, HEB had to look at the town’s land use code. Garside added that once the design is finalized, the plan will go before the Planning Board and then probably to an independent third party, in all likelihood Sebago Technics Inc., an engineering and land development consulting firm the town has used previously.
Garside said he will ask HEB to produce more accurate cost estimates, complete the design, come before the Planning Board and answer questions from selectmen.
In other developments, a Senior Tax Committee will be formed to find ways of reducing senior citizens’ real estate taxes based on age, length of residence in town and income.
The board gave approval to the Conversation Committee for contract services to have a site plan drawn up by Davis Land Surveying to build a bridge over the spillway on Waterhouse Brook Trail.
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