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Resident questions cannabis application timeline and sewer easement issues at Stockton council meeting
Summary
Resident Mike Odenwald urged the borough to clarify whether a cannabis RFA will be released in March and pressed for confirmation of sewer service to a site; the mayor and borough attorney said the RFA is expected by March and that private easements and DEP confirmations are the property owner's responsibility.
During public comment at the Stockton Borough Council meeting on Feb. 10, resident Mike Odenwald pressed the council for clarity about the borough’s forthcoming cannabis request-for-applications (RFA) and about sewer access for a specific property.
Odenwald asked whether the RFA would be released in March and said he was preparing to apply; he urged other prospective applicants to confirm they control real estate suitable for a dispensary, saying he did not see how other properties in town would qualify. Council member Hunt said real estate will be considered in the RFA process; Mayor Aaron Lipsen told Odenwald the RFA should be released by the end of March as the borough works toward deadlines.
Odenwald also asked which municipal representatives confirm water and sewer service for the Quarry House and whether the borough could verify which easement serves that property. Borough Attorney Lisa Maddox replied that private easements on private property are a private matter and do not involve the municipality, and that the DEP does not need the borough to confirm private easements. Mayor Lipsen added the borough can only confirm “where the sewer enters your property,” otherwise property owners must provide documentation for DEP review.
The minutes record these exchanges but do not show the council taking formal action on the cannabis RFA or easement disputes during the meeting. The Cannabis Committee reported working on an application process and said it would report back at a later meeting. Mayor Lipsen asked committees to prepare budget priorities and cost estimates ahead of the borough’s upcoming budget process.
Next steps recorded in the minutes: the council plans to release the cannabis RFA by the end of March (as stated), and property owners are expected to produce easement/deed evidence for DEP or private review when needed. The public comment period then closed and the council proceeded to resolutions and executive session.
