GV COUNCIL TO EXPLORE MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY OPTIONS

In her last full meeting as mayor (the torch will be passed to Vice
Mayor Jan Arbuckle in December), Lisa Swarthout presented Mayor's
Awards, a tradition dating back more than 10 years.

She awarded AJA Video the Community Business Award, Center for the
Arts the award for nonprofits, and the Mayor's Award to Grass Valley
Downtown Association Executive Director Howard Levine.

"He exemplifies community service and is the first one to step up to
the plate," Swarthout said.

Grass Valley leaders decided to explore two tracks regarding medical
marijuana -- creating an ordinance to allow dispensaries and another
ordinance banning them outright.

At Tuesday night's City Council meeting, council members voted
unanimously to have staff create both ordinances, to be reviewed by
both the Planning Commission and City Council before the city's
moratorium expires Feb. 23.

"They wanted to look at an ordinance that would provide for allowance,
and also a ban if they don't like that ordinance," said City
Administrator Dan Holler.

While the vote to pursue the dual tracks was unanimous, the council
was conflicted on the issue of medical marijuana, he added.

"They wanted to take a look at it as a medical necessity in some cases
that would benefit some of our residents, but there is also a strong
belief that the Prop 215 scrip process is abused," Holler said.

An ordinance allowing medical marijuana dispensaries would include
rules such as a minimum distance from schools and no consumption on
site, but there is a general consensus in the law enforcement
community that medical dispensaries increase work for police, Holler
said.

"The council struggled back and forth. We don't have all the medical
necessities here in Grass Valley, so not having this would not be
unique," Holler said.

A few members of the public spoke in favor of allowing the
dispensaries, he said.

With the City Council's guidance, staff will have the two ordinances
ready for the Planning Commission in December.

But if planning commissioners defer or continue the discussion, that
will put the city behind its deadline of Feb. 23, so a ban would have
to be put in place, Holler said.

That doesn't mean City Council couldn't repeal the ban and put an
ordinance in place later, Holler said.