Cannabis ordinance coming; in-person meetings, not so fast, Morristown council says

Morristown virtual council meeting, Oct. 12, 2021. Screenshot by Kevin Coughlin
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Morristown should have a cannabis ordinance next month. Whether the council introduces it virtually or in person is less certain.

“I don’t want to jump into regular meetings and be forced out of it because of a spike” in COVID-19 infections, Council President Stefan Armington said at Tuesday’s virtual meeting.

After animated discussion among council members, Armington asked town Administrator Jillian Barrick to report at the Oct. 26 meeting on her progress creating a hybrid system, which would let residents participate remotely if they have qualms about attending in person.

A zoning amendment designating where cannabis may be sold should be introduced in November, Armington said, in response to a question from Chris Connors, who served on the town marijuana advisory committee that met earlier this year.

“The administration is reviewing it to make sure the ordinance is consistent with the state legislation,” Armington said.

Back in the spring, the council voted to ban recreational- and medicinal marijuana establishments, to buy time to see what regulations the state would propose over the summer.

The pending town ordinance would create two licenses for cannabis businesses, which could operate downtown and in MX-2 “mixed use” zones along parts of Ridgedale, Madison, Speedwell and Martin Luther King avenues, and on Washington and South streets, Armington told Morristown Green.

Similar to businesses with liquor licenses, these establishments would be barred within 200 feet of churches, and within 1,000 feet of schools and each other, Armington said in an interview.

“Overall, we think we’re in very good shape,” town Attorney David Minchello said of the measure.

TRANSMISSION RATES

All Morristown boards have conducted meetings via Zoom since the pandemic lockdowns in March 2020. Armington has said he favors returning to in-person council sessions when the state’s COVID-19 transmission rate remains below 1.0 for a period of weeks.

It’s below that threshold now, though in recent days the rate has crept upward, said Barrick, who asked for more time to obtain equipment for hybrid meetings.  Armington also wants to hear from county health officials.

Councilman David Silva argued for in-person meetings, saying other area towns are doing them. At the Centro Biblico church, where he is pastor, Silva said masks, social distancing, and temperature screenings at the door have enabled in-person worship to proceed without any infections.

Constituents without computers or computer skills want a return to meetings in town hall, Silva said. He suggested installing glass partitions, and livestreaming from the council chambers.

While masks are required in town hall, other restrictions–such as limiting meeting admission to vaccinated persons–would run afoul of the state Open Public Meetings Act, according to Armington.

Councilwoman Tawanna Cotten asked if air purifiers will be needed, and if better instructions might help residents who struggle with Zoom. Councilman Robert Iannaccone inquired about moving meetings from the cramped council chambers to other venues with more space.

Relocating would hinder hybrid efforts, Barrick said, because the technology is tied to the council chambers.

“You can do anything with enough time and money. The question is whether something is feasible or reasonable… for something that’s essentially temporary,” the administrator said.

The Morris County Commissioners have a hybrid meeting system, and “they are doing a good job of it,” Armington said. But he acknowledged that system poses “significant challenges” for viewers wanting to call in with questions.

Virtual meetings have some advantages. Planning board diagrams and renderings are easier to see, Armington said.

“This format has reached a lot of people,” added Mayor Tim Dougherty. “At the planning board, we have more people (online) than ever attended meetings” in person.

Noting the virulence of the Delta variant, the mayor advocated caution.

“Work on the hybrid, but be patient” about in-person meetings, Dougherty advised.

IN OTHER BUSINESS…

Miller Road resident Jennifer Weil asked the council to direct Assumption School to hire a traffic cop for mornings and afternoons.

“Someone’s going to get really hurt,” she said, blaming a school bus for causing an accident involving her daughter’s car on Macculloch Avenue last month. Fortunately, there were no injuries, Weil said. But the car was totaled.

Police direct traffic at the Morristown-Beard and Peck schools, Weil said.

Although unaware of the accident, Councilwoman Sandi Mayer said she has been discussing Assumption’s traffic with town Public Safety Director Michael Corcoran Jr. since August. Mayer said Corcoran told her police are monitoring the situation and have a plan.

The mayor, who lives in the neighborhood, asked Acting Police Chief Darnell Richardson for a report.

Resident Kelly Montes pressed the town to make good on plans to improve Second Ward access to the newly renovated Pioneer Park at Headquarters Plaza.

In 2017, a $1 million grant was announced for a “Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade Transit Connection” to include an improved walkway from Spring and Water streets, linking the Second Ward with the Morristown Green and Pioneer Park.

“It is a federal grant, and they take several years to come to fruition,” Barrick responded. “They’re in the middle of the design phase. So those improvements are under way. Or at least, they’re moving forward.”

The administrator did not say when the improvements would be completed.

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