City Commission to discuss dining igloos, recreational marijuana at Tuesday meeting


Because Memorial Day is on Monday, commissioners will meet on Tuesday instead.


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The Mount Pleasant City Commission meets to discuss business on Jan. 7 in City Hall.

Because Memorial Day is on Monday, the Mount Pleasant City Commission will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 28 at City Hall. Commissioners will discuss dining igloos, recreational marijuana ordinances and the city's snow and ice removal policy.

After a successful test-run, the Commission will vote to allow dining igloos in downtown during the winter. In February, the City Commission approved a pilot program for igloo seating in downtown Mount Pleasant. Midori Sushi tested the igloo outside the restaurant and said it was very popular. 

At the meeting, commissioners will vote to update the Downtown Outdoor Dining Policy and Application Procedures to allow igloos in the winter and set safety guidelines.

The commission will also vote to hold a public hearing at its June 10 meeting about an ordinance to temporarily prohibit recreational marijuana establishments in town. 

City Manager Nancy Ridley said when marijuana was legalized last fall, the Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency initially planned to begin issuing licenses for recreational marijuana establishments on Dec. 1. Because of this, the city set a timeline to have local regulations ready by then. 

However, the agency announced it will begin issuing licenses on Sept. 1. Ridley said it would be difficult to have policies ready by then, so the city could temporarily prohibit establishments. This would allow time to discuss local regulations and determine locations for the establishments. 

Following the work session held on May 13, commissioners will finalize the city's snow and ice removal policy. 

In October, the commission chose to postpone voting on proposed changes to the policy. The changes proposed a requirement for residential property owners to clear sidewalks in front of their property. During the work session, commissioners indicated they don't mind encouraging residents to clear sidewalks, but didn't want to require it.

The commission will also vote to confirm the current snow removal map, which includes city-owned property and school routes.

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