The League of Oregon Cities (LOC) is developing its legislative agenda for the 2015 session and Hermiston has identified four issues it hopes will be part of that agenda.
The consensus of the Hermiston City Council is to recommend to the LOC that its legislative agenda place high priorities on clarifying and enhancing medical marijuana dispensary restrictions; enhancing mental health services; supporting continued or enhanced funding for Connect Oregon; and supporting efforts to address the state’s long-term water supply needs.
Those four priorities were identified during one of two work sessions Monday evening. The other work session focused on revising the city charter.
The LOC’s policy committees are recommending that the Legislature clarify existing restrictions on the placement of medical marijuana dispensaries that are inconsistent with the state’s land use regulations. It also wants background checks to be required for people working in those dispensaries. In addition, the LOC wants to see regulations placed on the manufacture of oils and other liquid marijuana products that use flammable or explosive substances in their processing.
Among the enhancements of mental health services the LOC would like to see are services that allow treatment before a person enters a state of crisis, as well as statewide access of crisis intervention teams.
The LOC wants to ensure continued or enhanced funding for Connect Oregon, which is the state’s premiere multi-model funding program. The program is funded out of lottery revenues.
The League of Oregon Cities also intends to support ongoing funding of the Water Conservation, Reuse and Storage Grant program which provides grants for water supply project feasibility studies.
