Full Notification

The Borough Council will be holding a meeting regarding the “New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act” (Bill No. S21) also known as the  “Recreational Cannabis Law”  Pursuant to Section 31(b) of the Recreational Cannabis Law, “a municipality may prohibit the operation of any one or more classes of cannabis establishment or cannabis distributors…”  A municipality must enact such an ordinance within 180 days of the “effective date” of the law.  Any ordinance enacted prior to the “effective date” of the law will be null and void.  However, a municipality cannot prohibit cannabis delivery services from operating within the municipality (i.e. a municipality cannot prohibit delivery services from delivering within or passing through the municipality).
If the municipality fails to opt-out via ordinance within 180 days, the municipality is barred from enacting such an ordinance for a period of five years.  During that five-year period, dispensaries will be permitted in all retail / business zones as a conditional use and manufacturing and cultivating uses will be permitted in industrial zones.

The Borough Council wishes to solicit input from residents regarding the crafting of a municipal ordinance in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act and will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, May 11th @ 6:00 p.m.  The meeting call-in information appears at the end of this message.  Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on in-person public gatherings by executive orders of the Governor of New Jersey, meetings of the Washington Borough Council will be held remotely via Zoom.  The Zoom platform allows for members of the public to participate via computer, mobile device, or telephone.  Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:39-1.5(g):  Both adequate and electronic notice of how to access this electronic meeting has been provided by posting such notice on the door of the municipal building and posting such notice on the municipality's Facebook page.  Such notice specified the time of this meeting and provided instructions on how to access the meeting remotely.

The following is an explanation of the procedures and requirements for making public comment as required by N.J.A.C. 5:391.4(h).
Please keep yourself muted until the meeting moderator requests that you unmute yourself.  The Borough reserves the right to mute or remove disruptive meeting participants after an initial warning.  Disruptive conduct includes sustained inappropriate behaviors such as, but not necessarily limited to, shouting, interruption, and use of profanity.

Comments will be accepted in writing.  Written comments must be no more than 450 words and must include your name and address.  Such comments will be read into the record at the appropriate time.  However, please be advised that the Borough reserves the right to summarize duplicative comments consistent with N.J.A.C. 5:391.4(f). 
Comments can be emailed by 3:00 p.m. the day of the meeting to: [email protected].   Written comments may also be submitted via mail or dropped off at the municipal building by such day and time.

Comments will also be accepted during the appropriate times of the meeting via Zoom.  If you wish to make a comment during the meeting please use the “raise hand” button on your screen if you are signed in via Zoom.  If you are accessing the meeting via telephone, please hit *9 and the meeting moderator will call on you and identify you by the last few digits of your phone number.  You can press *6 to unmute yourself.  Please state your name and address before beginning your comment.  As always, comments are limited to three minutes per person and there will be a comment session during the meeting.
Please be advised that this meeting will be recorded.

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