ESCANABA — Work was slated to begin this week on the ordinances necessary to allow commercial marijuana establishments in Escanaba, but after some confusion about how to proceed, the council decided more input would be needed.

Initially, the city council intended to give direction Thursday to Attorney Laura Genovich of Foster Swift in Grand Rapids, who has been hired by the city specifically for services related to the creation of marijuana ordinances. However, council members had different understandings of how that direction would be formulated.

Council Member Tyler DuBord, who believed the council would be provided with example ordinances from other communities, was prepared to discuss the council’s responses to a questionnaire provided by Genovich at the last council meeting. Council Member Ron Beauchamp, however, did not bring his questionnaire or answers, believing the council would be directing Genovich to review a previously-drafted ordinance created by the city’s planning commission.

“It was my understanding that the planning commission had already gone through several drafts; that we were going to use that as a starting point and, where we desire to, insert or delete different paragraphs. And rather than reinvent the wheel, we would just refer back to what other communities were doing and cut and paste,” said Beauchamp.

DuBord told the council he had not received a copy of the draft ordinance, and while Genovich had been sent some documents related to the planning commission’s work, it was unclear if she had all of the documents the advisory board had created.

The planning commission itself, however, had already suggested earlier in the week that the council and the commission meet jointly to discuss the draft ordinance and the rationale behind the rules in it.

“I think that works very well to make sure that both the legislating body and the planning board are on the same page before it goes through the formal process of having the public hearing on the zoning part and everything comes up to city council,” said Genovich, who would participate in the meeting.

Prior to the meeting, the council, Genovich and the city’s primary municipal attorney, Lisa Vogler, will be provided with copies of the draft ordinance. In addition, the council will be given a selection of ordinances from other communities that Genovich has determined to be good examples in terms of lawfulness.

No date has been set for the joint meeting. City Manager Patrick Jordan will work with the planning commission to set a date for the joint meeting, which will then be announced by the city.