Downers Grove To Weigh Cannabis Sales After Contentious Meeting

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — "In 2019, we get input in a lot of ways," Downers Grove Mayor Bob Barnett said after the topic of recreational marijuana sales was discussed at Tuesday's village meeting. "It's part of our job to take all that input," he told council members.

That's what the village plans to do before Oct. 8, when they will revisit whether or not to permit recreational cannabis businesses within village limits.

Initially, whether or not to ban recreational cannabis businesses was on the agenda for Tuesday's meeting after the village nixed plans to gather public feedback and pass the matter to the zoning and planning committee. Several village council members and speakers agreed that it was essential to consider the public feedback about recreational cannabis.

Council member Greg Hose called the village's handling of the matter thus far "nothing short of horrible."

Two weeks ago, the village had been poised to listen to public feedback and see what the zoning and planning commission would come up with if the village decided to opt in.

"A clear and unmistakable amount of emails I received after that supported this effort," Hose said. "And I'd like to point out that they were also sent to the mayor and other council members, so unless there's a technological quirk somewhere my colleagues received them as well."

Ahead of the meeting, village officials had given residents an opportunity to share feedback via email. According to Council Member Leslie Sadowski-Fugitt, roughly 67 emails were in favor of moving the issue ahead to the zoning and planning committee. Approximately 15 emails were against that.

"We are doing a disservice if we ignore them," Sadowski-Fugitt said. "I fear that their voice was not heard in making this decision," she added.

Sadowski-Fugitt told council members that if they didn't get in on the first batch of licenses for cannabis businesses of any kind, the village likely would not have an opportunity to get such licenses until sometime between 2022 and 2024, as the next batch will be prioritized for areas with a social need for economic development.

Mayor Barnett echoed Sadowski-Fugitt in saying that he believed the council needed to gather more information about public feedback and other options outside of retail sales, including cultivation.

"It seems we are open-minded to everything except having the zoning committee talk about stuff like that," he said.

Resident Mary Blanchard said she chose to speak a second time at the meeting after "learning, strangely, that I have to be here in person so that what I say will be listened to."

Blanchard went on, "I find it offensive that the many emails you received are being discounted by multiple people on the council."

"It's not OK. It's really not," she said.

The village will discuss recreational cannabis again on Oct. 8.