GRAND JUNCTION CITY COUNCIL SEEKING INPUT ON MEDICAL
POT

Grand Junction City Council members discussed during a retreat Friday
how they plan to use public input to make a decision about the
regulation of medical marijuana.

The council has not ruled out passing a medical marijuana ordinance.
Council members also recently asked the Mesa County clerk and recorder
to hold a place on the November ballot in case the council decides to
ask voters a question about regulating or banning medical marijuana
centers.

City Public Works and Planning Director Tim Moore said if the City
Council chooses to regulate zoning for medical marijuana centers,
zoning will likely stick to commercial and downtown centers and avoid
residential areas.

City Manager Laurie Kadrich added medical marijuana centers, as of
last month, have brought in $93,000 in city sales tax revenue since
they began opening for business last year.

Council members will ask the public to weigh in on regulation during
stakeholder meetings Aug. 4 and Aug. 18 at locations to be announced.
The council may invite some stakeholders to the meetings, such as
doctors, law enforcement, medical-marijuana-center owners and store
owners near centers, but anyone can attend.

Given the volume of attendees expected, Kadrich suggested having some
people sign in and check whether they'd like to speak at one of the
August meetings, setting a limit so people can testify at only one of
the meetings. Or, it could have people submit written comments instead
of testifying.

Council members said a telephone town hall seeking public input about
medical-marijuana regulation might be worth doing, given the success
of a recent telephone town hall during the city's listening tour about
public safety facilities.

City spokeswoman Sam Rainguet said the listening-tour call had a peak
of 4,681 participants. Council member Bruce Hill said the peak amount
of people participating in any of the three polling questions that
were asked at various points during that hourlong call was about 170
people.