KENNEBUNK TO CONSIDER MORATORIUM ON MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES

KENNEBUNK -- The Board of Selectmen will discuss a possible moratorium
on marijuana dispensaries at an Aug. 10 meeting.

Speaking at an Aug. 3 selectmen special meeting, Town Manager Barry
Tibbetts said he had received two inquiries from two separate
companies asking if the town had an ordinance governing marijuana
dispensaries.

The issue of medical marijuana dispensaries was raised last fall when
residents in the state voted to allow a loosening of the laws
governing the dispensaries. As a result, the state Legislature created
eight health-care districts and said it will approve a dispensary for
each district.

While dispensaries for six districts have been approved, a dispensary
for York County -- a district on its own -- is not one of them. That
leaves the question of where a dispensary will be located up in the
air.

Tibbetts said the towns of Sanford and Arundel have been mentioned as
possible sites.

Town attorney Bill Dale said as the center of York County, Kennebunk
might be appealing to some companies, but he believed other towns made
more sense as a location.

"It might be Biddeford, next to the highway and the hospital," he
said, adding that Sanford, while it has a hospital of its own,
wouldn't be as convenient.

Tibbetts said a moratorium would have to be approved by voters in
November, but if approved would last six months and be retroactive to
Aug. 3. It could also be renewed by selectmen for an additional six
months.

A moratorium would give the town a chance to draft an ordinance
governing dispensaries, he said. Such an ordinance could dictate
things such as where a dispensary could be located and its proximity
to schools.

"I think it would be prudent to send this to a public hearing to give
the public time to discuss the issue," said board Chairman Al Searles.

The board voted unanimously to send the issue to its Aug. 10
meeting.

Following the special meeting, the board held a workshop session to
discuss its bylaws and policies. Of particular concern to the board
was the length each member of the public could speak on an issue. Most
members agreed that five minutes seemed reasonable, with the proviso
that the board could vote to grant additional time if needed.

Calling a July 13 selectmen meeting the "most appalling" since he had
taken office, Selectman Dave Spofford said meetings that stretch
nearly six hours without getting everything done, and during which
people are allowed to talk too long, have a chilling effect on people
who might wish to participate in the meetings.

"We need to have better time management," Spofford said, "so we can
get the business of the town done."

Searles asked selectmen to bring their proposals for changes to the
Aug. 10 meeting.