City Council Minutes 2013 10 01 - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Meeting Minutes October 1, 2013 Page 6 of 15 This will allow time for the City to ask the voters to decide whether to allow retail marijuana businesses in the City and if need be, to adopt regulations for retail marijuana establishments. COUNCIL COMMMENT Council member Loo asked for confirmation the Council is not voting to put the question on the ballot. Planner I Robinson confirmed Council is not voting to put this on the ballot. He explained at some point in the future, at Council's direction, staff will bring forward potential ballot language for Council consideration for the November 2014 election. City Manager Fleming stressed the importance of the City Council approving the moratorium, which will allow staff the time to implement whatever Council's decision may be. If a moratorium is not approved it would allow retail marijuana businesses to come into the City in an unregulated fashion. Planner I Robinson reviewed the options available through the ordinance as follows: The two existing medical marijuana stores will be allowed to continue to operate as medical marijuana stores but will not be allowed to convert to retail marijuana stores. If the City Council decides to institute regulations and allow retail marijuana stores in Louisville, staff requested the Council pass the ordinance for a moratorium. The moratorium can be repealed at a later date once regulations are in place. If the ordinance is not passed this evening, there is a potential for the City to receive retail marijuana applications from the state and not have any regulations in place and have unregulated stores in the City. Staff recommended the City Council approve the moratorium and direct staff, if desired, to present draft regulations and possible ballot language. New regulations would come forward as a new ordinance for first and second reading and if the regulations are adopted, the moratorium can be amended to complement them. COUNCIL COMMENTS Council member Keany stated he did not understand at the last meeting if the moratorium does not go forward, the City would have no regulations in place. He felt the Council should have passed the ordinances regulating retail marijuana and have had the regulations and a moratorium in place at the same time. If the moratorium does not pass there will be no regulations in place. He felt the City Attorney or staff should have brought this to Council's attention. He voiced his disappointment with the process. Mayor Muckle explained because of the state deadline the City staff informed Council at the last meeting, a moratorium would have to come forward as an emergency ordinance if regulations were not in place.