PEKIN, Ill. – The Pekin City Council Monday night approved a public hearing to be held for discussions of cannabis dispensaries locations.
Pekin Mayor Mark Luft said it helps the council when they hear what the community wants.
“In this situation with the cannabis, from start to finish, their input is extremely important,” Luft said.
The hearing results will go to the plan commission to look at the zoning for possible dispensary locations.
“We do want to be proactive of where these can be,” Luft said. “We’ll let the plan commission look at that. They’ll make a recommendation if it needs shortened, lengthened, any of the distances, if we’re on the right track.”
Luft said once the commission decides the terms, they will be given to the council for a vote to be made.
The City of Pekin has not approved or rejected the sale of recreational cannabis yet, according to Luft, because the council wants to make sure everything is in order first.
“Now we will have the zoning to show the community that if a dispensary is approved, that we are being proactive and accountable for how many, where they can be, locations. So, we are showing responsibility moving up to the last vote which will be to approve a dispensary, or not,” Luft said.
Luft said the date for the public hearing will be during the first week of November.
