Calipatria moves toward marijuana prohibition
CALIPATRIA — In an effort to maintain municipal restraint, this city presented two draft ordinances during a regular meeting this week that will prohibit medical marijuana dispensaries or commercial marijuana activities.
The proposed ordinances will articulate the language for drafts put together by City Attorney William Smerdon aimed to ban most marijuana activity, noted City Manager Rom Medina.
“Both ordinances (201704, 2017-05) allow Calipatria local control in the event the city does not move forward with any planning or zoning code changes that allows Proposition 64 activities,” said Medina. “As far as Prop. 64 is concerned with private property, the city will adhere to the state law.”
Prop. 64 passed Nov. 8, allowing those 21 and older to smoke marijuana in their home or in a business licensed for on-site consumption. Calipatria’s ordinance 2017-04 will make it unlawful for any person to use or consume marijuana or any product that contains it in any building or facility owned, leased or occupied by the city. It also bans any person to use or consume it while in a public park, street, alley, highway or other public place.
For ordinance 2017-05, the council has found that since federal law already prohibits possession, sale and distribution of marijuana, it would preclude the opening of medical marijuana dispensaries. It also prevents any establishments offering recreational marijuana for sale, cultivating marijuana, other than for personal use, manufacturing products that contains marijuana, testing products made with marijuana or testing marijuana for recreational or medical use.
In addition, the city will not issue a business license to any individual for the purpose of engaging in a business prohibited by the above ordinance or prohibited by California or federal law. The first public reading of the ordinances are planned at the next council meeting, Aug. 22. At the meeting following that, a second reading and vote could allow passage. The ordinances take effect 30 days after its adoption by the city.
Emma Orozco, a longtime community member has submitted a letter of interest for appointment as a planning commissioner and to the Imperial Valley Housing Authority. By a 5-0 vote, Orozco was appointed to both commissions. Orozco is an administrative assistant at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church of Calipatria.
“She was appointed with unanimous support and the council congratulated her for her appointment and said they looked forward to her service,” said Medina.
She will fill the term of Roque Barros who recently resigned. Barros served the planning commission more than 25 years and was a long-time housing authority member as well. Prior to that Barros served as mayor and a city councilman.
The council also approved a request to use the remainder of a COPS grant they received for fiscal year 2016/17 in the amount of $4,214.15 to pay for officer salaries. COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) was launched in 1994 as a component of the U.S. Department of Justice and established through a provision in the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. Since 1994, COPS has provided $14 billion in assistance to police departments implementing community policing codes.