ASSEMBLY OPPOSES POT MEASURE

The Borough Assembly passed a resolution urging people to vote against
legalizing marijuana Thursday night. The resolution was passed 9 to 2,
with Tim Beck and Guy Sattley voting no.

"We've been bushwhacked, or maybe I should say weed-whacked by Outside
money," said Garry Hutchison, one of the assembly members who
sponsored the bill.

The assembly joins the Fairbanks City Council, the Fairbanks North
Star Borough School Board and the City of North Pole in speaking out
against Ballot Proposition No. 2, which calls for the legalization of
marijuana. The action was just one of many that kept assembly members
working late. Among other things, the assembly voted to give the
Fairbanks Drama Association and Children's Theatre $10,000, deny one
church rezone and OK another, and approved a tax zone that would allow
the borough to issue bonds passed on future development.

Dan Hoffman, deputy chief of the Fairbanks Police Department, urged
the assembly to pass the strongly worded resolution.

He testified that he and the Fairbanks officers have seen many tragic
cases in which marijuana was a contributing factor. He also pointed to
young women who have become victims of crime from people who took
advantage of their drug use.

Others testified that the idea that marijuana is a gateway drug to
harder drugs was not true, nor is the notion that legalized pot would
be easier for children to get.

Others accused the assembly of electioneering by taking a stand on a
voter initiative.

"I just don't conceive that of being a part of your duties," said Bill
Sullivan. "What's next? Are you going to advocate voting for Lisa Murkowski?"

Eileen Cummings submitted an amendment that struck from the resolution
the phrase that urged voters to vote no. The amendment failed.

"You ought to let people make up their own mind," Beck said.

The assembly unanimously turned down the rezone request of a church
that wanted to change their Minnie Street property from multiple
family dwellings into light commercial. Several neighbors of the
church testified that a rezone would increase traffic to an already
busy street. It's a family neighborhood with a school nearby, they
said.

The borough assembly did approve a rezone of former Baptist church
property on Ballaine Road for a couple who want to build rental cabins
and a pottery studio and shop.

The rezone restricts the business on the property to be only a pottery
business, which was fine Doug and Terry Anderson, the owners of the
property.

"We were married by potters on their front lawn," Doug Anderson
said.

A dozen people encouraged the assembly to pass the ordinance that
would give FDA $8,727.20, but the ordinance was amended to give them
$10,000.

The assembly also passed the tax increment zones in the Van Horn Road
and College Road areas. The zones would allow the borough to issue
bonds to improve land to encourage economic development. The bonds
would be repaid by taxes collected from businesses that may build on
the improved properties.