Residents and business representatives urge changes to Sunday hours and raise sidewalk and collection concerns

Representatives for a newly opened dispensary and several residents took the Garden City City Council’s public-comment period on June 9 to request policy changes and local fixes.

Doug Stewart, identifying himself as a representative of House of Dank (HOD), said the dispensary opened after council approval of zoning and has passed city and state inspections. Stewart said state and local licensing inspections were completed and the business has been operating without incident for about a month; he asked council to place an item on a future agenda to allow businesses to operate on Sundays. "We passed all our inspections with the city and with the state," Stewart said. He asked the council to consider Sunday hours to remain competitive with surrounding cities that allow Sunday operations.

Craig Aronoff, who identified himself as general regulatory and licensing counsel for House of Dank, told the council that missing Sunday hours could amount to roughly 50 days of lost operating time annually and that the business was already feeling competitive pressure from neighboring municipalities with Sunday hours. Aronoff asked the council to either bring the matter directly to council or refer it to planning, and he said he would appear on a future agenda if the council chose that route. A council member noted that some recreational-marijuana regulations may have moved out of planning and into the general ordinance; staff (Community Development Director Matt Miller or other staff) would confirm whether the planning commission needs to review any proposed amendment.

Two residents raised separate service and construction concerns. Kimberly Rokita told the council she is a recent Garden City resident whose front yard was excavated for a sidewalk-gap program with only a doorknob hanger notice three days prior. She said the contractor’s framing for the pad was crooked and that she was told only one drain pipe will be installed at a corner where she believes multiple drains are needed; she also raised concerns about tree roots being cut and possible driveway damage. Rokita said she wanted the city to delay pouring concrete until framing and drainage issues are corrected. The mayor responded that city engineering or DPW staff would contact her; staff acknowledged the short notice and said they would follow up.

William Byrd told the council about recurring delays in yard‑waste and garbage pickup and presented photographs and notes regarding a property on Crowder that he said appears abandoned and has an expired license plate. Byrd asked the city to follow up; the mayor said staff would look into the matter and discuss it with the clerk and city manager.

Council response and process notes: Council members did not take action on these public comments at the meeting. Several members suggested staff follow up with stakeholders; one council member asked staff to confirm whether changes to Sunday-hours regulations require a planning commission recommendation or can proceed via an ordinance amendment by council. No formal referral or vote was recorded on Sunday operations or sidewalk policy at the June 9 meeting.