Oswego To Hold Public Hearing On Allowing Recreational Marijuana

OSWEGO, IL — The Village of Oswego will hold a public hearing in October on the topic of allowing recreational marijuana facilities, with village trustees hoping to hear more from the public before making a final decision. The decision comes after a committee of the whole meeting Tuesday.

Illinois' new recreational marijuana law will allow the sale of pot beginning Jan. 1. The law gives municipalities the power to opt out of allowing the sale of recreational marijuana within its borders, a measure many areas across the state are now considering.

Tuesday's meeting of the village's Committee of the Whole was meant to be a starting point for Oswego's consideration of the new law. A number of village officials weighed in on the topic, but trustees are hoping to hear more.

After an informational presentation and a brief discussion, the committee voted Tuesday to send the topic to the Planning and Zoning Commission, which will hold a public hearing on the topic at its Oct. 10 meeting, Village Administrator Dan Di Santo said.

About 1,300 village residents have already weighed in on the topic. After the village asked its citizens to complete an online survey on recreational marijuana, nearly 73 percent of respondents said they support allowing recreational dispensaries to open in town. About 73 percent of residents support allowing growing facilities to open in town, while 60 percent support OKing smoking cafes and lounges, which allow for on-site marijuana consumption, according to the village.

Whether it allows local sales or not, Oswego is likely to receive a revenue boost from the state's new marijuana law. Eight percent of marijuana sales tax revenue collected by the state is diverted to municipalities, Di Santo said. Still, the village could see an even bigger revenue boon if local sales are allowed.

If Oswego instituted a 3 percent local tax on marijuana sales, the village could stand to see between $52,000 and $525,000 a year in tax revenue from one recreational dispensary, according to the village's informational presentation. The timeline for a dispensary coming online, however, is uncertain.

Oswego is considering allowing recreational marijuana sales at the same time as many of its neighbors. Naperville was considering the measure also on Tuesday night, and voted 6 to 3 to opt out of allowing recreational marijuana sales. Joliet will have at least one recreational dispensary to start, while Bolingbrook has already opted out of the new law. Aurora, Plainfield and Sugar Grove, among others, have yet to take up the issue.

With so many nearby municipalities, Oswego Trustee Pam Parr said it would be unfortunate for Oswego to lose the tax revenue to its neighbors, while doing nothing to help the problem of illegal marijuana sales.

"We've got neighbors who are five minutes away," Parr said. "I don't want to be the only town in an Oasis."

Oswego Police Chief Jeff Burgner said there are a number of issues from a public safety standpoint that need to be considered. One of his primary concerns is a rise in inebriated drivers. That is of particular concern with marijuana, because there is no field test to determine a person's impairment levels on the drug.

Burgner particularly took exception with marijuana lounges, saying they would contribute to unsafe roads. The village's recommendation to its trustees is to ban such on-site consumption businesses.

"It's hard for me to get behind that, and put potentially more drivers on the road that are hazards to other drivers," he said.

The village is also recommending that trustees allow marijuana dispensaries to be approved through a special use process, meaning that any new business would need village approval no matter its site's zoning designation. That proposal has the support of at least one trustee, Judy Sollinger.

There was some discussion of allowing residents themselves to decide the matter via a ballot referendum. Parr said a referendum would equate to the board skirting its duties.

"I'm uncomfortable kicking the can down the road," she said. "We were elected to make decisions."

After the Planning and Zoning Commission weighs in on the topic in October, the Village Board will be tasked with making a final decision on allowing recreational marijuana sales.