MENOMINEE, MICH. – Menominee Mayor Casey Hoffman spoke of the good and the bad in hosting marijuana stores during a State of the City address that included a pledge to bring integrity back to the city.
Hoffman reminded council members of Menominee’s history in manufacturing innovation, with Lloyd Lume creating a new industry over 100 years ago that brought with it prosperity.
“Menominee adjusted to a wildly new economic reality with hard work, determination and a pioneering spirit, and Menominee will do so again,” Hoffman said in his remarks.
Flush with marijuana tax dollars approaching $500,000, Hoffman said the bright side is the city “has never been in better financial health.”
The marijuana revenue presents new opportunities to spruce up the city. Hoffman plans to chair the finance committee to have a say in how city funds are dispersed for improvements.
His plans include: $15,000 for zinnia flowers on 10th Street; $10,000 for Art-for-all; $10,000 for Harry Potter Night; $10,000 for the Giant Pumpkin Festival; $10,000 for the Holiday Opener Parade; $20,000 for the Fourth of July; $25,000 for a Family-Friendly Waterfront festival; and $35,000 for Interlochen Center for the Arts to bring the center’s music students to Menominee to work with local students and artists.
He referred to Spies Library as “one of the largest drug prevention organizations in the Twin Cities” of Menominee and Marinette and pledged to give $100,000 annually to the library from marijuana tax revenue.
With marijuana lawsuits from retailers not yet settled and new questions over financial contributions from the marijuana companies, Hoffman said he wants to bring integrity back to Menominee.
“We have a sworn duty and sacred obligation not just to pay lip service and admire the problem but to actually, finally and definitively do better for Menominee,” he said.
As a substitute teacher and board member of Boys & Girls Club, Hoffman said he wants to keep the children of Menominee safe. Starting this year, the city’s voluntary Safe Labels Program will put large bright “Not Safe for Kids” labels on marijuana products that look like candy or a snack product. Hoffman wants to allocate $10,000 to this effort and provide $15,000 annually to Healthy Youth Coalition, $15,000 to Communities that Care and $25,000 to the DAR Boys & Girls Clubs.
Hoffman supports a Safe Passages Amendment that would penalize marijuana company applications for sites near a school, child care facility or a church.
He also wants to end the cycle of litigation over marijuana retail licenses with a Lawsuit Prevention Amendment that would allow those companies given approval for licenses to open stores and re-introduce a competitive process for awarding licenses for future openings if existing stores exit the city.
If the court allows only one new store to open, Hoffman shared his preference for Puff Cannabis’ location over Highwire Farms because of Highwire Farms’ location at an intersection with pedestrian traffic, including children walking to the Boys & Girls Club. Highwire Farms’ attorney Nick Tatra said through a spokesperson he had no comment.
Hoffman also said he wanted ad hoc committees formed for online participation at city council meetings and social media conduct, which Hoffman said stemmed from the number of complaints he has received about city council members’ use of profanity online.
Council Member Cheryl Haupt was Hoffman’s choice for the online participation committee chair, but she said the council hadn’t voted to approve these recommendations.
Haupt also said while Hoffman’s recommendations for improvements sounded good, the council isn’t allowed to make contributions to charities.
“They’re all fine and well and good, and good events and projects that promote the downtown, but it’s not something we can legally spend money on. They’re good ideas; it’s not the right financial way to approach it,” Haupt said.
Asked about Hoffman’s idea to use marijuana tax revenue to plant flowers to beautify the city, Haupt said, “I’ve actually gone out with the woman’s club and helped to plant flowers. I’ve helped to do landscaping by the library. It’s all well and good,” she said, but explained that the city hasn’t received the 2025 tax revenue year.
“I think counting chickens before they’re hatched is a good analogy.”
During the time for public comment, Will Flynn of 13th Street encouraged the council to reject a proposal for Flock public-safety cameras because “this private system threatens our constitutional rights, our wallets and our community’s trust with its surveillance,” according to meeting minutes.
Flynn provided examples of other areas where state and local officials investigated Flock for allegedly violating statutes by sharing data illegally and for allegedly making mistakes in identifying people. He cited a letter U.S. lawmakers sent to demand the Federal Trade Commission investigate Flock’s cybersecurity practices.
“These cameras are hackable. Our data isn’t safe,” Flynn said, urging the city council to vote against a three-year $51,000 contract with the company.
Haupt said the council hasn’t yet voted on the Flock cameras and she was still doing research on it.
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