At their Oct. 6 council meeting, Boardman City Councilors held a hearing to consider a ban on recreational marijuana within the city limits. One person attended the hearing and spoke against the ban, stating the city would benefit from the tax revenue generated by recreational marijuana sales.
Boardman City Manager Karen Pettigrew said about 63 percent of Morrow County residents voted against measure 91, which directs the Oregon Liquor Control Commission to license the production, processing, wholesale, and retail sale of recreational marijuana. House Bill 3400 provides for cities within counties that voted not less than 55% on measure 91 the option of prohibiting the establishment of certain state-registered and state-licensed marijuana businesses. Cities who adopt an ordinance banning such business would have to opt out of receiving state revenue generated by marijuana sales.
Councilors voted 6-0 to read Ordinance 6-2015 into the public record. The ordinance would ban recreational marijuana producers, recreational marijuana processors, recreational marijuana wholesalers, and recreational marijuana retailers within the city limits.
A public hearing and the second and final reading of the ordinance will be considered at the next Boardman City Council meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015 at 7 p.m. at Boardman City Hall.
In other city business, councilors met in executive session for the city manager’s annual review. They extended Pettigrew’s contract for another year and approved a wage increase to $77,500 annually.
Also, the council was introduced to Scott Green. He is the new director for the Boardman Park and Recreation’s new recreational center. He said they hope to break ground in March of next year for the recreational center, with a completion date by April or May of 2017.
