City Council Minutes 2013 12 03 - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Meeting Minutes December 3, 2013 Page 17 of 21 City Attorney Light stated it would be permissible to have more than one question on the ballot. He noted the constitution language states "municipalities are authorized to prohibit any of these types of facilities through an enactment of an ordinance or initiated or referred measure providing any measure to prohibit these facilities appears no earlier than a general election ballot in an even numbered year ". He recommended mimicking the language used in the constitutional provision to reduce the risk. Council member Lipton felt using the referendum process is a very blunt policy instrument. He stated it is very difficult to translate it into a binary yes or no referendum and would not be in the best interest of the community. He was not comfortable with a referendum because of the complexity of the issues. He noted a citizen can always petition for a ballot initiative. He was reluctant to have a second reading on Ordinance No. 1651. He stated the issue of marijuana is a very divisive issue in the community and felt the Council should proceed very slowly and make adjustments as needed. He felt once it comes to a referendum or initiative, it takes away the freedom to make any adjustments. He felt the policy issues should be done legislatively through the City Council. Council member Loo agreed and noted although she was not in favor of retail marijuana, 62% of Louisville residents supported Amendment 64. She stated staff and Council have worked hard to craft reasonable legislation, which does have protections against the downsides of having marijuana in a community. She opposed putting the issue on the ballot because it would be costiy and interfere with the public's vote. Council member Stolzmann stated she voted against Amendment 64, but supported following the will of the people. She requested public input at a public hearing. Mayor Pro Tem Muckle received an email from the Boulder County Public Health Department asking the Council to consider some small revisions to the legislation to discourage underage use. He stated many communities have voted to legalize marijuana, but voted to ban retail marijuana. He did not feel a referendum was a blunt policy. He also did not support the ballot language in Ordinance No. 1651, but preferred there be public comment on the referendum ordinance. PUBLIC COMMENTS Health Harmon, Director of Programs for the Boulder County Public Health Department, 3415 N. Broadway, Boulder, CO, stated the Health Department would appreciate the opportunity to provide information about marijuana's harmful impact to the youth. Laurel Alterman, Altermeds, 156 W. South Boulder Road, Suite #3, Louisville, CO addressed the comments made about marijuana's harmful impacts to the youth. She has been in business for four years and never had a problem with the youth population hanging out or trying to access her business. She stated the use of pills and alcohol in the youth community is easily accessible. She stated Louisville's rules and regulations