Public hearing Monday for Pacific marijuana moratorium

Published 2:26 pm Wednesday, August 7, 2013

The Pacific City Council will host a public hearing on Aug. 12 to consider comments from residents regarding a six-month extension of the moratorium on marijuana businesses inside city limits.

After the hearing, at the regularly scheduled meeting, the council will vote on the ordinance extending the moratorium, which prohibits any medical marijuana collective gardens, as well as any businesses that produce, process or retail marijuana in the city.

Interim Public Works Director Ken Barnett said the moratorium is a stop-gap measure, allowing the City to draft an ordinance that lays down the guidelines for any future marijuana businesses in the city.

“We’re trying to get an ordinance that is fair for everybody involved, so we’re doing another six-month moratorium to make sure we cover all the bases,” Barnett said.

The moratorium also allows the City to wait until the Washington State Liquor Control Board sets its guidelines for the business of processing, producing and retailing marijuana in the state.

Last November 55 percent of Washington voters elected to legalize the recreational use of marijuana by passing I-502.

“The state is saying it’s going to be December before they have a determination,” Barnett said. “This just helps us keep things at the status quo right now.”

Pacific has two medical marijuana dispensaries, Pacific Green Collective and Chronic Solutions, in the same business complex on Stewart Road.

Pacific Green Collective, which opened during a lapse in the city’s moratorium, has been in business for more than a year.

Barnett said legal negotiations are underway with the business, but he declined to reveal specifics.

Chronic Solutions opened its doors last month.

“I was just recently made aware of their presence,” Barnett said, adding that he planned to pay Chronic Solutions a visit.

“Typically I’ll pay them a visit and explain that they’re not allowed to operate in the city,” Barnett said.

If the situation is not settled to the City’s liking, Barnett said, the usual procedure is to follow up with a letter. But if further legal action is required, he would notify the city attorney.

The Pacific City Council meets at 6:30 p.m., Aug. 12 at City Hall, 100 3rd Ave. SE.

ALSO: The council voted unanimously at a special meeting this past Monday to approve the retention of Lighthouse Legal Firm of Seattle to represent the City in property acquisition and possible condemnation of right of way easement negotiations for the ongoing $8 million Valentine Road project, a joint infrastructure improvement project of Pacific and neighboring Sumner.

Next Monday the council expects to vote on an emergency ordinance giving it the go ahead to begin the process of acquiring the needed property.

The emergency ordinance is needed to achieve the milestones set in place by a $4.9 million construction grant that was awarded to Sumner and Pacific. The project will widen Valentine Avenue.

If milestones for the project are not met, the cities could lose the grant. If that happens, they would have to pay back more than $1 million they have spent already.

The cost for the principle Lighthouse attorneys expected to work on the case is $250 an hour plus expenses such as court filing fees, large copying projects, large mailings and other court-related expenditures.