COUNCIL SEEKS MEMBERS FOR CANNABIS COMMITTEE

Cortez city officials are looking for community members interested in
the medical marijuana issue to serve on an ad-hoc advisory committee
assembling to explore potential regulations of the industry and their
impacts on the community.

City Manager Jay Harrington said the committee will advise the city
council on what to do with medical marijuana policy. The group could
make a wide range of recommendations - from only allowing existing
medical marijuana centers to operate, to a licensing system similar to
liquor sale, to an all-out ban on centers within the city limits.

"I think it's important for the council to have a pretty broad base of
information and facts in front of them before they act," Harrington
said. "To make sure that the council has a well thought out decision
and a good process to get there."

Also in the equation are individual medical marijuana caregivers,
which had previously gone unregulated, but under new state
legislation, may now be subject to local oversight.

"Once the committee's done and made it's recommendations, I think it's
anticipated that it'll go away," Harrington said. "This isn't going to
be a long-standing group just to police medical marijuana."

Currently, the proposed makeup of the committee includes three city
council members, three participants in the medical marijuana field and
four Cortez residents-at-large.

Three city council members have already shown interest in serving on
the committee, including Tom Butler, Matt Keefauver and Bob Archibeque.

City Attorney Mike Green and Police Chief Roy Lane will likely work
with the committee on legal issues, Harrington said. It is also likely
that the meetings of the committee will be open to the public, however
it is not yet known how public feedback will be accepted by the committee.

"I think when these groups take shape, they evolve a little bit and
will probably work with the council in a work session setting to kind
of discuss their mission," Harrington said.

The formation of the committee came about after a May 24 city council
meeting in which Butler made a motion to vote on either allowing or
banning medical marijuana centers within the city limits. Keefauver
said at the meeting he was not ready to make such a vote and would
rather explore varying degrees of regulation. After some discussion,
Butler withdrew his motion and the council asked city staff to
assemble an advisory group.

Up for second reading Tuesday, is an ordinance extending a moratorium
barring new licenses to medical marijuana centers within the city
limits. There are currently five existing centers in the city that
would not be affected by the proposed moratorium extension.

For individuals interested in serving on the committee, letters of
interest should be submitted by 5 p.m. Tuesday to the city clerk's
office at 210 East Main St. After that time, the council may choose to
make final appointments to the committee.

Letters should include why the applicant is interested in serving on
the committee as well as any qualifications they may have.

A date for the committee to first meet has not yet been
established.

More information is available from the city clerk's office at
564-4008.