WEED MUST WAIT, WATERVILLE SAYS

Council Approves Dispensary Moratorium, Votes To Form Committee
Exploring Needs Of Police

WATERVILLE -- There will be no medical marijuana dispensary in the
city, at least not this year.

City councilors on Tuesday voted unanimously to place a moratorium on
considering applications for dispensaries and permits for at least six
months.

Councilors said they want to explore what areas of the city might be
appropriate for dispensaries and related facilities such as storage or
cultivation sites. They said they also want to ensure that the city
has proper regulations in place.

On July 20, councilors voted 7-0 to approve the moratorium; on Tuesday
they took two final 7-0 votes.

The issue arose recently when Northeast Patients Group cited a former
KFC on Water Street as a possible location for a medical marijuana
dispensary.

Beverly Busque, who lives next door to the KFC, opposes the idea. She
told councilors she and her husband Andrew do not want such a facility
in the neighborhood.

"So, it needs to go somewhere else," she said.

For three weeks, the Busques have been marching on the sidewalk daily
to protest opening a dispensary at the KFC. She said she does not
oppose medical marijuana; in fact, her father, whom she cared for in
her home, died of cancer 2 1/2 years ago and if she could have had
marijuana for him at the time, she would have done so.

"However, I don't want it sold next to me, out of my backyard," she
said.

John Stewart of Washington, Maine, also spoke out against locating a
dispensary on Water Street, although he said he was a patient himself
and a caregiver for someone who uses medical marijuana.

Stewart said the state took the citizens initiative regarding medical
marijuana and "warped" it so it is unjust. He encouraged city
officials to continue saying "no" to dispensaries.

"You have the right to do this, so keep it up," he
said.

But Councilor Rosemary Winslow, D-Ward 3, said there is another side
to the medical marijuana issue. She said she has spoken to people who
live both in and outside of Waterville in the last two weeks who are
medically fragile and they and their physicians are seeking access to
medical marijuana.

"They are not individuals that are derelict," she said. "They are
paying members of the communities and had feared and are thankful the
Busques brought to the forefront the location at KFC."

She said those people worry about the possibility of being identified
if they have to go to such a location and what would happen to them if
they leave the facility with marijuana.

"There's certainly a lot more to look at -- to discuss down the road,"
Winslow said.

In other matters Tuesday, councilors voted 6-1 to appoint a committee
to study the needs of the Police Department and explore options for
building an addition, moving or constructing a new facility.

Committee members appointed are Councilor Mary-Anne Beal, D-Ward 2;
Councilor Charles "Fred" Stubbert Jr., D-Ward 1; China Town Manager
Dan L'Heureux; Allan Rancourt, president of KFS; and Cathy Taylor,
owner of Adams & Worth.

Ex-officio members are Mayor Paul LePage; City Manager Michael Roy;
Fire Chief David LaFountain and Police Chief Joseph Massey. Roy
indicated two more people may be appointed, as two on an initial list
said they could not serve.

The council amended a request to have the committee report back to
city officials on their findings by Nov. 1, changing the date to Oct.
1.

Stubbert was the lone opponent in the vote. He and others, including
Diane Bryan, executive director of the Waterville Opera House, said an
upcoming Opera House renovation project would be in jeopardy if the
work does not start on schedule.

One of the options to expand Police Department is to build an addition
onto City Hall, concurrent with building an addition to the Opera
House. In doing so, the police communications center would have to be
temporarily moved, which requires careful planning, Roy said. That
planning can not be rushed, he said.