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Grass Valley officials are methodically putting together a medical marijuana dispensary ordinance under a year's moratorium with concerns about increased crime, location and discretion at the top of the list.
“We have to take care of Grass Valley and make sure we have our ducks in a row before one opens,” said Vice-Mayor Jan Arbuckle Tuesday.
Mayor Lisa Swarthout said the city will probably have a draft ordinance to review by the end of the summer and will work toward a solid law no matter what Nevada City or others might do to open a medical pot shop.
Two potential pot merchants have surfaced in Nevada City, where a similar moratorium and fact-gathering operation is in effect until mid-August.
“If we can come up with an ordinance and keep the community from harm, there is a potential to have one here,” Swarthout said. “I'm not saying we will have one, but we want to come up with a good ordinance,” to put the city on solid legal ground, should someone apply.
“Nevada City will probably have an ordinance on the books before us,” but the Grass Valley is not stalling just to let its sister city deal with the situation, Swarthout said.
“Our police department still wants to get something on the books.”
Police Chief John Foster is working on the ordinance with City Attorney Ruthanne Ziegler and Community Development Director Joe Heckel.
In April Foster brought concerns to the board about what possible medical marijuna dispensaries might do to the crime rate, pointing to increases around pot shops in California according to a state law enforcement white paper.
For the full story, see Wednesday's edition of The Union.
Foster said Tuesday he is “absolutely” still worried about secondary crime from a marijuana dispensary and hoped to have a draft ordinance ready for the City Council to see by the end of August.
“We have to take care of Grass Valley and make sure we have our ducks in a row before one opens,” said Vice-Mayor Jan Arbuckle Tuesday.
Mayor Lisa Swarthout said the city will probably have a draft ordinance to review by the end of the summer and will work toward a solid law no matter what Nevada City or others might do to open a medical pot shop.
Two potential pot merchants have surfaced in Nevada City, where a similar moratorium and fact-gathering operation is in effect until mid-August.
“If we can come up with an ordinance and keep the community from harm, there is a potential to have one here,” Swarthout said. “I'm not saying we will have one, but we want to come up with a good ordinance,” to put the city on solid legal ground, should someone apply.
“Nevada City will probably have an ordinance on the books before us,” but the Grass Valley is not stalling just to let its sister city deal with the situation, Swarthout said.
“Our police department still wants to get something on the books.”
Police Chief John Foster is working on the ordinance with City Attorney Ruthanne Ziegler and Community Development Director Joe Heckel.
In April Foster brought concerns to the board about what possible medical marijuna dispensaries might do to the crime rate, pointing to increases around pot shops in California according to a state law enforcement white paper.
For the full story, see Wednesday's edition of The Union.
Foster said Tuesday he is “absolutely” still worried about secondary crime from a marijuana dispensary and hoped to have a draft ordinance ready for the City Council to see by the end of August.
