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Highlands Council adopts cannabis-hours ordinance, authorizes bond notes and approves consent agenda
Summary
At its Feb. 5 meeting the Borough of Highlands council approved Ordinance 02501 changing cannabis retailer hours after a public hearing, adopted Resolution R-2552 on bond anticipation notes to the county improvement authority, and passed a multi-item consent agenda (R-2553–R-2559).
The Borough of Highlands Mayor and Council on Feb. 5 adopted Ordinance 02501, amending Section 4-18.7 to change permitted hours of operation for cannabis retailers. The presiding officer said the change was prompted because the property in question is no longer operating as a church and the earlier site-plan approval had included hours as a condition; the council closed the public hearing and passed the ordinance on second and final reading.
Mayor Bulan opened the hearing and explained that because the property changed ownership and use, the prior church-related condition no longer applied; the ordinance was adopted and council recorded the motion as carrying. The mayor and council noted that the operator will still need to seek site-plan approval from the land-use board because hours had been a condition of the original site plan.
Council also adopted Resolution R-2552, authorizing the issuance and sale of bond anticipation notes to the county improvement authority. Mr. Michelle explained the borough participates with the county authority so several municipalities can pool borrowing and secure a lower interest rate; the council adopted the resolution by motion.
The council approved a consent agenda of resolutions R-2553 through R-2559 by a single motion. Those items included an alcohol-waiver for a community center rental, amendments to a 2025 events resolution, authorization to refund tax overpayments, appointment of an alternate municipal prosecutor, green team appointments, authorization for aerial mosquito control operations within the borough, and payment of bills.
All measures were adopted during the Feb. 5 meeting; the council indicated motions carried with affirmative votes from the members present.
What happens next: The ordinance will be effective according to the borough’s standard ordinance-adoption rules and the cannabis operator must pursue any required site-plan approvals with the land-use board. The borough clerk will publish adopted resolutions and the town will post the planning-study materials for the clam plant project (a separate item discussed at the meeting).
Votes and formal actions recorded at the meeting are documented in the borough minutes and the clerk’s roll-call entries.
