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Mentor on the Lake council amends and approves 3-month moratorium on cannabis operation approvals
Summary
Council voted to shorten a proposed six-month moratorium on processing cannabis operation applications to a three-month moratorium, citing the need for time to write local rules and to avoid precluding nearby election calendars; final vote was 4–2.
Mentor on the Lake’s City Council voted to amend and adopt an ordinance extending a moratorium on acceptance and processing of zoning and occupancy applications for cannabis operations, approving a three-month extension after debate over timing and legal defensibility.
Council members said the moratorium is intended to preserve time to draft local licensing and zoning regulations rather than allow applications to proceed by default. One council member noted the county’s tentative spring election date (May 5) and an issues-petition deadline of Feb. 5, arguing a short extension would allow the council to consider whether an advisory or ballot referral route is appropriate. “Six months does not leave you much time,” the council member said during the debate.
Other members argued for a longer pause, saying 12 months would provide certainty for drafting comprehensive rules; supporters of the shorter period said a three-month moratorium is more legally defensible and still gives staff time to prepare draft legislation. The council amended the ordinance from the originally proposed six months to three months (amendment motion carried on roll call) and then approved the ordinance as amended. The final roll call recorded four votes in favor and two opposed.
Council President Rob Johnson and several members said the moratorium will move into a Committee of the Whole for drafting, and that any eventual licensing or zoning regulations will return to committee and then to council for three readings if required. Members discussed city cost if a standalone special election were required to place an issue on the ballot and the possibility of aligning any local referendum with the general election to avoid added expense.
The ordinance is recorded as 2024‑o‑27; council directed staff and the zoning committee to continue work on regulatory options during the three-month pause. The moratorium will remain in effect while council and staff develop proposed language and consider whether to pursue a ballot measure or local licensing framework.
Next steps: the item will be scheduled for committee consideration (Committee of the Whole) to draft specific zoning and licensing language; council signaled intent to return with proposed legislation or ballot options before the moratorium expires.
