Town's New Community Engagement Digital Site's 1st Topic: Pot Shops

GUILFORD, CT —The town is kicking off its new digital community engagement site on a hot topic: pot shops in Guilford.

The town has partnered with Zencity Engage to "inform and collaborate with residents about plans and initiatives." And first up is what officials describe as a "pressing decision facing town leaders." Should the town permit cannabis retail establishments in Guilford? Based on a community survey, the majority say yes, with conditions.

Since cannabis establishments and sales are now legal in Connecticut, and approval has been left up to towns, officials have been weighing the ramifications of allowing or not allowing these facilities in Guilford.

The Board of Selectmen has a moratorium on cannabis stores until April 30, 2023. The digital public engagement platform was created to both inform, and gather feedback, to enable officials to make the "best and most informed decisions for the town on this issue and others going forward."

A resident survey last spring found that 63 percent of survey participants supported retail establishments in town; 64 percent supported cultivation facilities, and 60 percent supported private property growth. Top priorities included keeping cannabis away from children, minimizing impaired driving, and locating the retails stores in commercial areas along major highways.

Learn more here on the new town engagement site.

In the coming months, the town hopes to solicit more feedback from residents through this engagement platform and is looking to schedule a hybrid in-person and zoom public forum to hear more feedback before a final decision is made.

Through Zencity Engage, Guilford will create engagement sites for local projects, upload supporting information, and invite residents to give input using interactive participatory tools. The site will enable the town to more easily incorporate more resident voices in the planning and execution of priority initiatives to improve local services and the overall quality of life.

“We are always striving to get input from residents and this partnership with Zencity will be a
great step toward directly collaborating with residents who’ll bring their needs and concerns to
the fore and help us make the best decisions for the future of our town,” First Selectman
Matt Hoey said.

Zencity is the community input platform used by local governments to hear from more residents and get meaningful and actionable insights. Zencity works with hundreds of municipalities across the U.S. including Chicago, Phoenix, Seattle, and San Diego on issues ranging from public safety to American Rescue Plan Act implementation.

The new community engagement site will inform and gather feedback from residents in up to 27 languages and make it easier for residents to participate—on their own time, from wherever is convenient.

First up is all about pot shops in town. Learn more here.