ESCANABA — It will be a night of updates and discussions Thursday, when the city council tackles a variety of issues including retail sales of marijuana in the city, how to proceed with evaluating City Manager Patrick Jordan, the sale and redevelopment of the former Delta County Jail, and the current state of an ongoing investigation into funds that went missing during a past attempt at redeveloping the jail property.

MARIJUANA

The council will continue its discussion of the future of retail marijuana sales in Escanaba by reviewing questionnaires each council member was given by Laura Genovich, a municipal attorney from Grand Rapids’ Foster Swift who specializes in producing marijuana ordinances. The city contracted with Genovich earlier this month for marijuana-related services on the advice of the city’s regular municipal attorney Lisa Vogler, who was hired in late April and felt marijuana ordinances were outside the scope of her practice.

The nature of marijuana ordinances means they are highly customizable, allowing communities to decide things like where commercial marijuana establishments can be located, whether or not there should be a maximum number of establishments in a city, and what types of establishments are permissible. Through the questionnaires, the council hopes to hone in on what they feel commercial marijuana would look like in the city so that information can be given to Genovich. Genovich will then draft the ordinances necessary to implement legal commercial marijuana operations.

For the moment, retail and other commercial marijuana establishments are illegal in the city. However, the city council voted on April 7 to allow commercial operations, pending the creation and adoption of the necessary ordinances. Commercial marijuana sales and services will be legal after the ordinances are adopted or Sept. 19, when a sunset clause repeals the existing ordinance opting the city out of the state marijuana law — whichever is sooner.

If the sunset clause takes effect prior to the adoption of local ordinances, marijuana sales will automatically become legal in the city with only the state’s rules in place to regulate their operation. Genovich has stated she believes it is possible to get the ordinances in place prior to the Sept. 19 deadline.

JAIL REDEVELOPMENT

The council will be updated on the progress of the sale and redevelopment of the former Delta County Jail and Chamber of Commerce properties. Prior to Vogler’s taking on her new position as the city’s attorney, the city had attempted to work with developers directly through a request for proposal process. The process hit a snag when the city administration recommended awarding the project to a developer from Lower Michigan and the remaining potential developers — all of whom are from Delta County — decided to scrap their individual proposals for the sites in favor of a combined development proposal. The council was unsure if it could legally award the project to the local developers because a request for proposal was not submitted for the joint project.

Instead, on Vogler’s recommendation, the city scrapped the proposal process entirely and began the process of selling the properties directly, using the city’s land sale policy as a guide. This required extra steps, such as appraisals. The council directed Jordan to begin implementing the process and to continue working with the local developers to sell the land directly.

MISSING FUNDS

At the end of Thursday’s agenda is an update from Escanaba Public Safety on an ongoing investigation into funds that went missing during a failed attempt to redevelop the jail site.

Around $29,000 worth of funds related to a state grant went missing during the city’s relationship with Proxima Management Group, which had publicly stated its intent to build a $23 million hotel development on the sites of the former jail and Delta County Chamber of Commerce. The city terminated its relationship with Proxima in late 2021 after there had been no contact from the developer in more than eight months.

The case is being investigated by both Escanaba Public Safety and the FBI. Escanaba City Manager Patrick Jordan has repeatedly stated there is no evidence nor any implication that city staff were involved in the incident.

CITY MANAGER EVALUATION

The council will continue its discussion on evaluating Jordan’s performance as the city’s manager. During a special meeting on May 26, the council approved evaluation forms for the council to use to review Jordan’s performance, as well as forms for city department heads to review him and a self-evaluation for Jordan to complete. The forms were to be completed by Thursday and submitted to the city’s human resources department, where they would be compiled and sent to the council members for review at the council meeting.

FUNDING AND SUPPORTING NONPROFITS

Included in the city’s budget are funds for supporting three non-profits: Enhance Escanaba, the Bonifas Arts Center and the Delta County Historical Society. Service agreements with all three entities are included on Thursday’s agenda.

Enhance Escanaba — a non-profit founded by City Council Member Karen Moore, who also serves as the group’s president — is slated to receive $5,000 for “initiating, designing, promoting, and funding beautification projects in public, private, and historical places in the City of Escanaba.” One such project completed by the group is the recent planting of hydrangea trees along Ludington Street.

The council will also consider renewing its service agreement with the Bonifas Arts Center. Under the agreement, the city pays $5,000 for the 2022-23 fiscal year and the arts center provides six to eight exhibitions, a minimum of four plays and a minimum of 35 art and creative workshops or classes. Also on the agenda is a resolution of support for the art center’s grant application to the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs for the 2023 “Music Mondays” summer concert series. If approved, the city will serve as the administrator of the funds

Under the service agreement with the Delta County Historical Society the council is considering Thursday, the city would provide the society with $2,000 for the continued work and new exhibits at the museum and lighthouse.

PUBLIC HEARINGS

Four public hearings are also on the agenda. The first hearing is on the project plan for planned upgrades to the water distribution system is necessary for the city to receive grant money through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. Later in the meeting, the council will consider a resolution adopting the plan. The second hearing is on an amendment to the city’s appropriations ordinance for fiscal year ending June 30, 2022. It is required to balance over- and under-expenditures under state law. The last two public hearings are for special assessments for ally pavings. Both projects were requested by property owners who would be assessed.

PUBLIC WORKS

A series of items on the agenda are related to the city’s public works department. The council will hear the year’s paving schedule; approve bids for ADA ramp construction, engineering services, and curb construction; and appoint Interim City Engineer Wendy Taavola as the city’s street administrator.

INSURANCE

The council will consider renewing the city’s property and liability insurance through the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority.