TURLOCK BANS MARIJUANA STORES

Temporary Halt Gives City Council 45 Days To Study, Decide On Action

TURLOCK -- With little discussion or public comment Tuesday night,
the City Council banned medical marijuana dispensaries within city
limits, at least temporarily.

Council members voted unanimously to forbid the establishment of
cannabis clubs for 45 days while they study the issue and decide on a
permanent course of action.

Before the 45 days is up, city staff members will request an
extension to a full year, and could ask for another 12 months. City
Attorney Dick Burton said it might take at least that long to decide
the medical marijuana issue in the state's appellate courts.

A public hearing on the moratorium drew only two citizens to the
podium, both of whom are anticannabis.

Linda Taylor, an anti-drug advocate, said she favors stiffer
penalties for drug users. She wants the city to ban dispensaries
until state law can be changed "to reflect the majority of Stanislaus
County voters, who were against Proposition 215," the state medical
marijuana law passed in 1996.

Resident David Whiting told the council that as a former
methamphetamine user, he sees harm in marijuana, even with a prescription.

The topic was heated last month in Modesto, when the City Council
chose to close a dispensary on McHenry Avenue and ban all similar
businesses. About 120 people showed up to speak there -- many in
favor of keeping the dispensary open -- and the debate lasted nearly
three hours.

There are no dispensaries in Turlock, but interim City Manager Tim
Kerr said the council didn't want to wait for someone to propose one
before it began looking at the arguments.

City Planning Manager Michael Cooke told the council that with other
cities in the area banning dispensaries, Turlock would be a logical
place to propose one.

Mayor Curt Andre pointed out that the discussion at Tuesday's meeting
was not one of social issues.

"We'll have time to discuss our philosophies on the issue later," he said.

The council voted unanimously to spend $30,000 to recruit five new
police officers and make two staffing changes within the Turlock
Police Department that will provide promotion opportunities and a
salary savings of $44,000.

One vacant captain's position will be converted to a lieutenant's
job, and once it is filled, Kerr said, the department will have a
lieutenant for each day's three work shifts. That's where the savings
comes from.

A vacant communications supervisor slot will become a sergeant's job,
giving the department nine sergeants.

Before the motions and votes, Councilman Kurt Vander Weide asked for
a moment to show his "unrestrained" happiness that the city would get
more officers.

Kerr said final numbers are not ready for release yet, but judging by
the quarterly sales and property tax payments received so far, the
city should have enough money to cover the cost of new officers.

"People have been spending more in our city," Councilman Billy Wallen said.

Kerr said there's no timeline on hiring, and if revenue projections
aren't met, the city can decide not to fill the jobs.

However, Turlock has 66sworn officers now, which means there are
about 1.9 officers for every 1,000 residents. The standard most
cities use is 1.5 officers for every 1,000 residents, Kerr said.
Hiring five brings the city closer to the standard and does not
account for the growth the city is likely to face in coming years.

Andre said the goal is to have 10 officers as soon as possible but
five right away.

The council also approved a $12,000 contract with a Modesto firm to
begin asbestos abatement on the Carnegie Arts Center, which was
gutted by fire in November. Kerr said the firm could begin the
abatement work within the next few days.

The asbestos must be removed, he said, before structural engineers
can get inside and evaluate the cost of rebuilding versus remodeling.

That evaluation will go to the city's recently established citizens
advisory committee, whose members have not been chosen. That
committee will make a recommendation to the council on the arts building's fate.