Town Board votes to opt-in to permit cannabis retail sales

AMENIA — By vote of 4-1, the Town Board voted to “opt in” to state regulations and allow cannabis retail dispensaries within the town at their regular meeting on Thursday, Feb. 6. The decision followed a public hearing that was held open since the previous Town Board meeting held on Thursday, Jan. 16.

Explaining her negative vote on the measure, Councilmember Rosanna Hamm said that she was uncomfortable with opting in before there is a local zoning law in place to regulate the change.

By the vote, the Town board reversed a 2022 decision to opt out of permitting cannabis dispensaries. Residents who opposed the reversal raised concerns about adverse health effects from cannabis use and parental concerns, although some could approve availability to patients whose health needs prescribe its use.

Others who supported the change in local law to opt in spoke of medicinal benefits and potential revenue for the town where the town could receive three quarters of the revenue from the 4% sales tax.

Several residents favored scheduling a town-wide referendum to give all residents a chance to vote on the cannabis issue, feeling that recent social media polling was not a representative sampling.

Councilmember Paul Winters noted that the issue has been discussed for more than a year.

“It’s about giving cannabis dignity. It was never about the potential income,” Winters said, opposing the idea of a town-wide referendum.

Related to the first, the second public hearing would amend the zoning laws to permit a cannabis dispensary. Included in the record but not publicly summarized at the meeting were comments received from the Planning Board and the County Planning Board, relative to zoning regulations and location of any dispensary.

Discussion included concern about the sequence of action. Councilperson Rosanna Hamm asked whether an action to reverse the law and opt in to state regulations would be wise without having a local law in place to govern the implementation.

Community Development Block Grant application

A public hearing was convened to select a project to be the subject of a funding application in the form of a Community Development Block Grant during the current application season.

Town Supervisor Leo Blackman explained that the grant offers funding distributed by Dutchess County to towns for projects that will benefit the entire community.

Finance Director Charlie Miller said that grants are offered to three categories of projects, including housing, public facilities, and drinking water/wastewater. For this year’s application season, Miller suggested applying for $200,000 to fund repairs to the town water district, noting that the program allows the town to apply for another $200,000 for the following year.

Bill Flood, chairman of the Water Board, supported the proposal. Resident Judy Moran supported the idea, but as a member of the Recreation Commission, pointed to a need to purchase new playground equipment for Beekman Park. Discussion determined that grant application deadlines and paperwork requirements could not accommodate the play equipment.

During discussion, Winters defended the playground idea and urged focus on acquiring new equipment in the coming year. Councilman Brad Rebillard asked for details on the timeline for the grant application.

Term limits

Having agreed to seek to extend the term of office for the Town Supervisor from two to four years, the Town Board voted 4-1 to schedule a public hearing for Thursday, March 6, to hear comments from residents. The hearing will begin at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall. Councilmember Hamm cast the negative vote, recalling that the change was included on the ballot in 2016 and had been rejected by voters. Winters responded that he felt that the community has changed in the interim.

Seeking to limit the number of consecutive terms served by the office of Town Supervisor, Winters proposed a limit of 12 years — 3 consecutive four-year terms — that could be followed by a single year off, before becoming a candidate again. The proposal passed by a vote of 3-2. Voting in favor of the proposal were Rebillard, Winters and Councilmember Nicole Ahearn. Opposed were Blackman and Hamm. Hamm said that she would prefer to leave the matter to the voters to decide whether an incumbent has served long enough.

During public comment, Ken Topolsky, chairman of the Economic Development Committee and member of the Comprehensive Plan Review Board reported that both groups are engaging in conversation about the town’s future, focusing on determining a “brand” for the community. Noting that the Town Board is working on updating the town’s logo, he suggested a delay in the logo redesign until the two committees complete their efforts.

During the Supervisor’s Reporting segment, Blackman responded to ongoing federal actions targeting immigrants throughout the U.S. “Know Your Rights” pamphlets have been printed by active human rights advocacy organizations. They are available for pick-up from a variety of public-facing locations within the town. To request an electronic copy of the pamphlet, email lblackman@ameniany.gov.

Councilman Rebillard added a cautionary note directed to the board that efforts to assist immigrants or resist enforcement could result in a charge of Obstruction of Justice.

Water District Improvement Project

Anticipating upgrades to the Water District and the application for a Community Development Block Grant in support of the project, the Town Board scheduled a public hearing for Thursday, March 6, to review plans for the project expected to cost $3.9 million. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m.