Looks like the Cannabis ordinance in Atlantic Highlands is going to be a political issue and there are bound to be more than a few folks taking advantage of it in the November election.
Heard there was a meeting last week to which a lot of political committee members and political leaders, including three council members attended.
Since I did not get an invite, nor did anyone mention it to me, can’t help but wonder if it’s because months before I had filed a civil rights complaint against the GOP Committee chair because of actions which seemed to be retaliatory to me for and earlier complaint? That’s the one I filed against the governing body for failing to provide for disabled persons to hear and be heard at municipal government meetings.
Since it was a personal issue, I have not mentioned it and certainly venividscripto.com never carried a story on it; however, not only have other folks mentioned it but they’ve even put it in writing! And the matter is still under investigation!
But that’s all another story…
This recent meeting that folks said was put together by a councilman and a school board member asked people to come out to work against Council voting for any cannabis businesses in town. Shortly after the meeting, signs too difficult to read unless you’re up close have been scattered around town urging people to attend the Aug. 11 meeting of the Mayor and Council to voice their opinions against cannabis businesses.
Also heard that political committee folks have been asked to contact the people in their political districts to put up the signs. Of course they certainly aren’t restricting themselves to their own district in asking folks to put these signs on their front lawns and there’s nothing the matter with that either.
All this when they also seem to think there aren’t enough votes in favor of cannabis to enable it to get approved anyway. So why all the fuss now if not for political reasons?
It doesn’t seem the people calling the meeting either have all the facts or know all the facts. Why would they not be urging residents to attend, virtually or in person, the Planning Board meeting on Aug. 4?
That’s the next place the question of what if anything will be allowed in town. That meeting is set for 7 p.m., and is supposed to be both in person and virtual. Under the laws which govern Atlantic Highlands, the ball is in the Planning Board’s court. At their last meeting, they said they would have some questions for the council. That’s why council could not hold the public hearing last month. If they make one change at their Aug. 4 meeting, then the governing body cannot act on the ordinance as presented. If they want to pursue it, they had to wipe out that proposed ordinance, with or without a public hearing, then introduce another one, and go through the whole process once again, including shipping it back to the planners to be sure they’ve included what the planners want in it.
If they do not make any changes, then the public hearing and final vote on the ordinance as it now sits on the council table can be voted on.
So wouldn’t it just make sense to attend the planning board meeting first to let those folks know what you’re thinking?
Fascinating what interests people .. While the councils here and in two other towns and the school boards here and in Highlands have been so forthcoming and so knowledgeable about the subject of regionalization, and have offered so many meetings and workshops for folks to answer questions, there haven’t been a lot of folks from this town coming out to listen, to learn or to give opinions. Yet that is an issue that will impact the education of children and the school tax…the largest part of the local tax bill…..for years to come.
People are talking about the impact on parking with cannabis, but the parking committee has been working long and hard trying to get some issues resolved. Yet it’s the rare person who speaks out on that at municipal meetings.
What’s happening with Mother Theresa school is another major issue, yet few stand up and ask at a meeting what’s holding up any answers?
All major issues. And few come out to talk about them. On the other hand, if it’s cannabis that gets the folks riled up enough to call a meeting and invite a lot of folks to it, and spend money on signs (Who paid for those?) and time to put them all around town, then that’s a good thing.
If it gets people to take a stronger interest in their town and take the opportunity to get more involved in having it stay the way they want, then it’s a shame it has to take a small group of people to stir up interest and take action.
