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Tuesday the Butte County Board of Supervisors could adopt a new ordinance regulating marijuana cultivation for the unincorporated sections of the county.
Two weeks ago, the supervisors conducted a lengthy public hearing on the measure that heard both proponents of medical marijuana and opponents of cultivation both praise and revile the proposal.
During the first hearing, Paul Hahn, the county's chief administrator, had stressed that the proposal was a compromise. As presented to the supervisors on Feb. 12, the document was the work of a committee made up of medical marijuana advocates, citizens who were not growers, and elected and appointed county officials.
Oroville Supervisor Bill Connelly, who chairs the board, observed that the division suggested to him it was probably a fair ordinance.
The document going to the supervisors for final approval Tuesday has some changes, but most things remain unaltered. For one thing, it is a civil land-use measure and has no relation to criminal law. The ordinance follows the county's nuisance abatement procedures, which can be costly to a violator.
Another key point to the measure is that it is "complaint driven," meaning neighbors will have to complain about a particular garden to initiate a county review of the situation.
Hahn assured the public during the Feb. 12 hearing that there would be no county code enforcement officers just looking for gardens.
There is also a stipulation in the proposal that requires the complaining party to live no farther than 1,500 feet from the nearest property line where the garden is located. The idea is to prevent those opposed to marijuana gardens from searching for and complaining about grows that are not in their personal neighborhoods.
At the first meeting, the board voted 4 to 1 to tentatively approve the proposal; Chico Supervisor Larry Wahl was the lone no vote.
At that time, he said the measure failed to adequately protect the general public from the foul smell of the growing plants, nor from the dangers of so-called "patch pirates" staging armed raids on gardens that have in the past resulted in gunfire in the street.
Beyond all of those concerns, he said growing marijuana for any purpose violates federal law and the county should not endorse the violation of law.
Tuesday's hearing, when the public will again be allowed to speak pro or con on the measure is a timed item that will take place at 9:40 a.m.
Also on Tuesday's agenda is a proposed county noise ordinance, the goal of which is to ensure sounds that violate the "noise element" in the county's General Plan will not be allowed.
This is an introductory item and the board cannot adopt the ordinance at this meeting.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: chicoer.com
Author: Roger Aylworth
Contact: ContactUs - Chico Enterprise Record
Website: Butte board could adopt pot-growing measure - Chico Enterprise Record
Two weeks ago, the supervisors conducted a lengthy public hearing on the measure that heard both proponents of medical marijuana and opponents of cultivation both praise and revile the proposal.
During the first hearing, Paul Hahn, the county's chief administrator, had stressed that the proposal was a compromise. As presented to the supervisors on Feb. 12, the document was the work of a committee made up of medical marijuana advocates, citizens who were not growers, and elected and appointed county officials.
Oroville Supervisor Bill Connelly, who chairs the board, observed that the division suggested to him it was probably a fair ordinance.
The document going to the supervisors for final approval Tuesday has some changes, but most things remain unaltered. For one thing, it is a civil land-use measure and has no relation to criminal law. The ordinance follows the county's nuisance abatement procedures, which can be costly to a violator.
Another key point to the measure is that it is "complaint driven," meaning neighbors will have to complain about a particular garden to initiate a county review of the situation.
Hahn assured the public during the Feb. 12 hearing that there would be no county code enforcement officers just looking for gardens.
There is also a stipulation in the proposal that requires the complaining party to live no farther than 1,500 feet from the nearest property line where the garden is located. The idea is to prevent those opposed to marijuana gardens from searching for and complaining about grows that are not in their personal neighborhoods.
At the first meeting, the board voted 4 to 1 to tentatively approve the proposal; Chico Supervisor Larry Wahl was the lone no vote.
At that time, he said the measure failed to adequately protect the general public from the foul smell of the growing plants, nor from the dangers of so-called "patch pirates" staging armed raids on gardens that have in the past resulted in gunfire in the street.
Beyond all of those concerns, he said growing marijuana for any purpose violates federal law and the county should not endorse the violation of law.
Tuesday's hearing, when the public will again be allowed to speak pro or con on the measure is a timed item that will take place at 9:40 a.m.
Also on Tuesday's agenda is a proposed county noise ordinance, the goal of which is to ensure sounds that violate the "noise element" in the county's General Plan will not be allowed.
This is an introductory item and the board cannot adopt the ordinance at this meeting.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: chicoer.com
Author: Roger Aylworth
Contact: ContactUs - Chico Enterprise Record
Website: Butte board could adopt pot-growing measure - Chico Enterprise Record
