ENGLISH'S VACANT SEAT ON COUNCIL TO REMAIN OPEN UNTIL 2006

FAIRFIELD - The City Council doesn't foresee any overly contentious issues
in the next few months and decided it will be OK to leave one council seat
empty until voters pick a replacement for John English in the election this
November.

In a separate action, the city's highest governing body decided to prolong
its moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries for another 10 months.

Both items came up at Wednesday's City Council meeting. It was the first
meeting after English resigned from the council due to a drug conviction.
His term would have expired at the end of the year.

All four remaining council members voiced confidence in their ability to
agree politically and then voted unanimously to operate one-person shy of a
full board until January 2006.

Vice Mayor Harry Price said a former councilmember had mentioned an
interest in taking the seat temporarily. But when no other councilmembers
bought into the idea, Price agreed it would be best to leave it empty.

"The four of us can function very well," he said.

Later in the meeting, the city's elected leaders spoke publicly for the
first time about specific places that might be appropriate for medical
marijuana clinics. They then decided it would be best to extend to a full
year the current 45-day ban on such facilities.

Two members of the public urged the council to seriously consider the
benefits of medical marijuana and to use the time wisely to consider
possible locations for future marijuana dispensaries.

Fairfield resident and businessman Galen Lawton, 36, said he recently asked
county health officials how to apply for a medical marijuana card and was
referred to the local police department. The county employee, Lawton said,
told him the police "have a program for that."

"I want to know if medical marijuana use is legal in Fairfield for those
with a doctor's prescription," Lawton asked the council. "And what is this
moratorium on exactly?"

City Attorney Greg Stepanicich said the city's moratorium is only to
determine a land-use policy for dispensaries and that it doesn't affect
state or federal laws on the drug's use.

Problem is, nobody is completely certain how to deal with the legalities of
a state law that directly conflicts a federal law.

"This (moratorium) will allow for future discussions at the court levels as
to what a city's responsibilities are on this issue," said city planner
Brian Miller.

Councilwoman Marilyn Farley asked if it would be possible to locate medical
marijuana dispensaries at the major healthcare facilities in Fairfield.
That way, it would be more separated from those who would smoke marijuana
recreationally, she said.

"I'm just asking if we can look at that as we move forward with the
moratorium," she said.

There was a short discussion before the council voted unanimously to extend
the citywide ban. But it was heartening, nonetheless, to hear a council
already considering the possibilities, said Nathan Sands, a representative
for the Compassionate Coalition, an organization that works to educate
government officials about medical marijuana.

"I felt like they were sincere in looking at the issue fairly, and you
don't see that at most council meetings," Sands said afterward.

Sands tried to dispel of the negative stigma about marijuana use.

"I know all the people you see talking about medical marijuana here tonight
look healthy, but that's because the people at home going through
chemotherapy couldn't make it," he said.

In other news, the city approved a half-cent sales tax measure that will
now go to the voters in November. The tax, if approved by two-thirds of
voters, would boost city revenues by $7.4 million a year.

The unanimous vote of approval was expected because the council had already
discussed the matter several times earlier this year.