(Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette) In spite of wording in Calumet Village’s Adult Use Marijuana Facility Ordinance, council members still have questions that required extensive discussion at Tuesday’s regular council meeting. Clockwise from left are trustees Lori Weir, Andrew Ranville, Roxanne King, Village Clerk Kevin Weir, Village Manager Caleb Katz, Village President Dave Geisler, Brian Abramson, and Doug Harrer.

CALUMET — The village has received its first Adult Use Marijuana Facility Authorization Application, Clerk Kevin Weir told the Village Council Tuesday.

The application was received on Jan. 6, along with the required application fee of $5,000, which was deposited into the General Fund two days later.

Barring any unforeseen events or circumstances, said Weir, the authorization would be granted on Wednesday, Jan. 22.

If the application is approved, the recreational facility will locate at 206 Fifth Street, Weir said.

The village had previously announced it would begin accepting applications for Adult Use Marijuana Facilities on Dec. 16, 2019.

While discussing the matter, Weir wanted clarification regarding the application fee.

“One thing we wanted to mention to the council, though,” said Weir, “is according to the ordinance, after we issue the conditional authorization, this deposit’s non-refundable. So, I wanted to put forth, for you folks to consider, if we want some discretion.”

Weir said that as clerk, he is designated to refund the deposit if a conditional authorization is denied, and the council could consider that point, if it chose.

Trustee Andrew Ranville said he believed the village had been clear in the wording of the ordinance draft and its adoption in October 2019, that whether the authorization was approved or not, the application fee was non-refundable.

“From my understanding,” Ranville said, “we really wanted to have any applicants who were going to be proposing this kind of business, in our downtown or our commercial district, to really have their ducks in a row, and have their state-level stuff already locked in, because there was some contention with having these businesses downtown, anyway.”

The intended purpose of the fee being non-refundable, Ranville said, was to ensure that the applicant is someone who is professional and actually serious to the point that their application would not be denied, prompting the party to come back to the council to request a refund.

The ordinance, No. 153, states that the facilities can be micro-businesses, marijuana retailers, temporary marijuana event organizers, safety compliance facilities, secure transporters, processors, and designated consumption establishments.

The operations of these various facilities are restricted to five locations, the ordinance states, within the general commercial, downtown commercial, and industrial districts, as defined by the village of Calumet Zoning Ordinance.