WILTON – The Wilton Select Board held a public hearing in regards to the town’s cannabis moratorium on the evening of Tuesday, April 9. The hearing was kept “short, sweet, and to the point,” as Selectman Keith Swett predicted.
The moratorium on cannabis operations went into effect on Tuesday, October 17, 2023 and was set to last for 180 days, expiring April 14. It may be extended for another 180 days if the problem giving rise for the need for the moratorium still exists and reasonable progress is being made.
At the last select board meeting on April 2, Selectman Mike Wells, who is serving as Chair of the cannabis moratorium committee, shared the progress on putting together a proposed revision of the ordinance.
Chairwoman Tiffany Maiuri reminded the audience of the purpose of a public hearing, defining it as “a chance for the public to comment, provide viewpoints, and/or to testify on the effects of extending the cannabis moratorium.”
No members of the public wished to comment on the issue and the public hearing was promptly closed.
During the select board meeting, Selectman David Leavitt moved to extend the cannabis moratorium for an additional 180 days, which would expire on October 11.
Wells informed the board that the committee is still making steady progress, reporting that they should be finished after their next meeting, in plenty of time to hold another public hearing prior to the town meeting in June. “We’ve really had an uphill battle learning all the different state statutes and aligning our ordinance with the state statutes,” he said. “So we’re not in conflict with state documentation.”
Chairwoman Maiuri thanked everyone who is working on rewriting this ordinance and Wells acknowledged the assistance the committee has received. “We’ve had a lot of help from cannabis operation owners who understand the laws, legalities, and the state statutes,” he said. “They’ve been invaluable.”
The motion passed unanimously.
