Board meets on pot shop

Town board to adopt budget, raise water fees
This shop, at 448 Railroad Ave., may become Mancos’ first marijuana retail store. A public hearing on the topic is scheduled Wednesday, Dec. 10, at the Mancos Town Hall at 7 p.m.

The Mancos Town Board will consider a retail marijuana store Wednesday, Dec. 10, after a public hearing on the store, which will be named The Shop.

The store is being proposed at 449 Railroad Ave. No. 1, next to Gary’s Auto Repair.

Town Manager Andrea Phillips said the store meets all the town requirements and the owners, Paul Coffey and Nathan Fete, have passed all their background checks.

Phillips said the town measured the store’s proposed distance from the school properties and the Mancos Skate park. According to town ordinance, the shop must be no less than 1,000 feet from a school.

The marijuana retail store is 1,124 feet from the Mancos School District.

If approved, this will the first retail marijuana store in Mancos.

“Mancos has mostly been supportive of medical and retail marijuana,” Phillips said. “I can only think of one or two people who have spoke out against it.”

Earlier this year, the Town of Mancos passed a $2 per transaction occupational tax for retail marijuana. So each time someone buys retail marijuana, the town is able to collect $2.

“This is money we collect as a town,” Phillips said.

The Board of Trustees Meeting is expected to start at 7 p.m.

The state collects sale tax and reimburses the town.

Water rates are also expected to rise this year, according to the proposed budget that board members are expected to approve Wednesday night.

If approved, rates will go up about $2.50 a month, starting Jan. 1.

Last year, the town board voted to increase water rates by $5 a month.