Pinckneyville clears way for sale of TUMS building to SI Farmacy marijuana growers
The Pinckneyville City Council voted four to one to pass a resolution committing a total of $500,000 to the SI Farmacy Group which plans to purchase the Higman Building east of town to develop a medical marijuana cultivation center. Commissioner Sam Fulk was the sole dissenting vote.
SI Farmacy Group, represented at the meeting by Gorgi Naumovski and Brad Galli, operates several pharmacies, including the Medicine Shoppe in Du Quoin. Naumovski said there are additional partners in St. Louis, Mo.
SI Farmacy is applying for one medical marijuana cultivation license and four dispensary licenses from the state. Applications are due in August and are expected to be awarded in November.
The city's initial investment is $200,000 which will be used to retrofit the building. The remaining $300,000 would be invested only if SI Farmacy receives a medical marijuana cultivation license from the state.
The investment would be repaid with one percent of the gross profits each year until the full $500,000 is recouped. The city would then receive a half percent each year that the cultivation center operates in Pinckneyville.
Naumovski said the group plans to invest $5 million in the building. The first portion to be retrofitted will be 75,000 square feet. He anticipates 40 to 50 jobs initially, but said at peak, the operation could supply up to 200 jobs.
Naumovski also said two percent of the business would be set aside for charitable giving.
The council also agreed to abate $58,000 in interest owed by Joel Higman on the loan for the former TUMS building, pending the sale of the building to the SI Farmacy Group. Higman The principle on the loan is $135,000. The motion passed four to one with Commissioner Leonard Heisner as the only one opposed.
In other business, the council:
• voted to place the revised zoning ordinance on file for public inspection. The ordinance was revised to include the appointment of a Zoning Administrator and a Zoning Board of Appeals and to clarify that homeowners may rebuild in the footprint of their home if more than one house is destroyed by a natural disaster. The council will vote at the next meeting on whether or not to adopt the zoning ordinance and map, as presented by the zoning commission at a two-part public hearing which began in June 9.
• passed a resolution authorizing legal action to collect all outstanding accounts owed by Luke's Shade Tree. The former restaurant owes approximately $21,000 to the city's revolving loan fund.
• granted permission for the second annual Chris Harvey Owns the Night 5K Walk/Run to be held from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7. Circuit Clerk Kim Kellerman and Tricia Chandler told the council that last year's event drew 280 participants. Funds raised will be split between a college fund for Harvey's daughter and a scholarship fund honoring the late Perry County Deputy who died in January. The walk/run begins at the Perry County Courthouse moves to Walnut Street, south to Parker Street, west to Railroad Street over the tracks then follows County Road to the fairgrounds then around the walking path and back by the same route to the Courthouse.
• agreed to pay $5,000 to join a regional promotion of communities with populations between 4,000 and 20,000 people by Community Link. Craig Williams said his company will immediately begin making three videos which will be placed on the '10 good reasons' website. Pinckneyville will have its own dedicated '10 good reasons' website and the videos will be available for use on high-traffic websites in the community such as the city, library and Chamber of Commerce and on local Facebook pages. The videos will give reasons for people and companies to relocate to Pinckneyville. The city will also receive brochures with the information to distribute.
• approved the purchase of a Grasshopper lawn mower at a maximum price of $12,099. Depending upon trade-in value of the old mower, the price could be lower.
• granted permission for First Baptist Church to hand out soft drinks at locations around the square from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 7
• granted permission for the Chamber of Commerce to collect funds for the Mardi Gras pageant at locations around the four-way stop and square from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 27