Tisbury selectmen have taken another step toward retail recreational marijuana sales, approving a host-community agreement with Patient Centric of Martha’s Vineyard.
“This is a milestone for us,” board chairman Melinda Loberg said at a meeting Monday.
The contract requires Patient Centric, whose chief executive officer is Islander Geoff Rose, to pay the town an up-front fee of $20,000 as well as an annual $20,000 contribution to Tisbury’s affordable housing trust and $2,500 a year for marijuana education.
The town will also receive three per cent of the cannabis shop’s gross sales revenue, funded quarterly.
Under the new agreement, Patient Centric will not be permitted to request any tax credits or subsidies, and agrees to grant the town a no-cost easement to its property on Mechanic’s street if the town moves to make it a public way.
Town counsel Jonathan M. Silverstein noted that Patient Centric still needs to go through normal permitting and pay for any consultant fees the town may require as part of that process.
Mr. Rose plans to grow the shop’s marijuana in West Tisbury, according to the Patient Centric website.
The company has secured state permission to grow and sell medical marijuana in West Tisbury, but still needs to clear hurdles at the state level to sell retail marijuana on Island.
Also Monday, police chief Mark Saloio introduced selectmen to his department’s two new full-time officers.
Mike Cutrer and Julia Levesque were selected after a recruitment drive the chief said drew 23 resumes and cover letters.
“I’m very happy that these are our two finalists,” Mr. Saloio said.
Both Mr. Cutrer and Ms. Levesque grew up on the Island and graduated from Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School before going on to college and criminal justice careers, he said.
Selectmen voted to approve the hires and welcomed the new officers with handshakes.
Looking ahead to the town’s 350th birthday in 2021, selectmen discussed forming a committee to plan the celebration and agreed to place the action on an agenda for later this month.
In other business, selectman Jeff Kristal volunteered to represent Tisbury on the Healthy Aging Martha’s Vineyard Task Force.
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