Escanaba City Council Meeting: Should we have a moratorium on the moratorium? (Feb 2, 2023)

No doubt these are exciting times in Escanaba as people navigate a new orientation in town development. As with all adjustments there are things that need to be fixed, considered, consulted, and resolved. There has been some growth in the area and some significant outside investment that is positioning Escanaba as a possible hot spot destination for future investment, lifestyle and recreation.

There are some social issues we will need to deal with like marijuana. As long as people agree to listen to each other, just about anything can be resolved. This is not a make or break it issue but its a contributing factor to a level of community buy in. How we handle disagreement is even more important than the issue itself.

Tonight people will be at the Planning Meeting to ask for barriers around certain religious and civic institutions. What I believe is below......stay tune folks.....this is a town in the process "of becoming"! Its exciting to watch as an American town finds new life and legs (i.e. Billerud and other. Welcome to the Esky family.) After being relatively disconnected from the global economy for the past number of decades when local manufacturing closed down from its peak employment of 1700 in 1982. Harnischfeger Company, (P.& H.), Escanaba (40+ years ago) . DC Historical Society UPI Post, Harvard Analysis of Harnischfeger.

(Keep in the back of your mind that this is the time that much of the U.S. started switching overseas and backing away from domestic production. Save a penny on shares I guess.🤷 For some lack of orders or rising expenses did their companies in. That trend is changing and Escanaba is part of that bigger picture as an ideally situated Great Lakes town with certain hard infrastructure and potential for cluster development to meet innovative needs. In theory! 🙊🙏 )

What Escanaba is becoming is dependent on choices of internal and external stakeholders (Getting everyone in alignment around some shared vision or purpose is helpful.). The most important thing to keep in mind is that as long as the best interest of the residents, the state, and the country are kept primary....its going to be a really good thing (Incorrect choices will pull us in unknown directions.) 

Sometimes one might consider a Political Economic Analysis (PEA) to just get a feel of the importance of moral and ethical concerns as a new town changes. This isn't about only economic development there are other things things we can learn from local changes. Pay attention to how close knit communities can find a way around such thorny issues.

There is room to accommodate the needs of the majority of the town while allowing limited, but well monitored, dispensaries that improve the landscape (Be mindful of other businesses as well). Government is there to solve problems through comprisable solutions. That is one option. There are many others so let us see what they come up with. 🤔

Compromise is like the middle of the road; always safer to walk on than the edges. Dwight D. Eisenhower 

See the Esky City Agenda 02/02/2023

Source: Richmond Fed

Permits and Broadband: You will notice that there is some broadband improvement going on through the discussion on permitting. To create a smart city that is connected to the global world you will need the ability to transfer data. That comes with your digital infrastructure. As the town picks up in terms of connectivity within itself and with the outside world it could become one selling point that attracts digital nomads and higher tech type businesses that rely on such infrastructure. It would be something I would consider listing on my webpage, any city advertising, etc. to help attract a growing demographic that can bring money into the area. Permits are one way to look at what is coming up in the near future and what type of development that is occurring. See DC Broad, Connect UP, Full Bloom Esky, Info Cross, Broadband Rural America

Recreation: Tennis Courts were repaved. Ok Tennis awesome and the courts needed a little work. The backboard should be straight as well. I didn't spend much time there last summer but even as I kid I remember the practice backboard sort of being warped a little. As of a couple years ago it was fine but definitely could get some TLC. Nice to hear tennis players are still valued members of the recreational community. :) Spring is coming and I'm digging out my rackets just to try out the redone courts. 

Tokem and Smokem (Ord. 1273): The moratorium is not an essential issue. It is a delay. There are 6 applicants and no matter if they are approved or denied everything should be done in a way that builds as much community consensus as possible. Yet I wouldn't overload the city with dispensaries or you might find other problems (Be strategic in thinking!). Everything should be done within reason. That might require such dispensaries to be built in a classy way and improve the image and appeal of their business neighbors. Likewise, I would agree with the priest {or any other spiritual leader} and say a barrier around places of worship and other civic institutions would be helpful to make sure we are meeting multiple stakeholder needs. 

In good conscious you don't want bars and/or legal drugs anywhere near places where people have a right to practice, learn, and develop without these temptations. Its important to remember that people go to religious services for many different reasons some of that is self soothing so its just not a good mix to have that within arms length. People want to feel good when they go to and from their church, mosque, synagogue, temple, drum circle, or whatever. They probably would not appreciate a cannabis neighbor (making an exception for the type of drum circle you are in.). That being said, I'm not opposed to such dispensaries (actually in the middle on them) but they must be done in a way that is in the best interest of the community and its overall economic, physical, and mental health. 

So dispensaries should some parameters to ensure they do not step on the rights of others. Moratorium or no moratorium is not really the issue, what is the issue is considering various local concerns and find ways to address the big one's so as to have a workable path forward. This is relatively easy to solve and most people could probably accept some workable form of compromise that is livable for almost everyone.