EYE ON JEFFERSON: County eyes moratorium on pot shops

Published 12:01 am Monday, October 6, 2014

The three Jefferson County commissioners will conduct a public hearing on a moratorium on recreational marijuana businesses when they meet Monday.

The special meeting will begin at 9 a.m. at the Cotton Building, 607 Water St., with the public hearing set for 10:30 a.m.

Commissioners approved the six-month moratorium Aug. 10. It expires Feb. 11.

The public hearing is a required part of the moratorium process.

The moratorium prevents new applications for marijuana producing or processing in areas zoned rural, residential, public and Urban Growth Area. Other zones are not affected. Marijuana retailing is not affected.

The county initially treated recreational marijuana, legalized by Initiative 502 in 2012, in the same way as other agricultural products, but that stance was criticized by some members of the public.

County officials are reviewing regulations now.

Commissioners will hold a hearing on third-quarter budget appropriations at 10 a.m.

They will be briefed at 2 p.m. on the North Gateway Buffer Property.

Items on the consent agenda include:

■ A call for bids for the purchase of pickup trucks, to be accepted until 9:30 a.m. and opened at 10 a.m. Nov. 3.

■ A contract with NC Machinery of Port Angeles for $608,492 for motor graders.

■ A contract with Sabelhous West Inc. of Silverdale for $39,221 to paint the exterior of the Port Townsend Community Center gym.

■ A consulting agreement with Van Aller Surveying of Carlsborg for $58,061 for surveying service for Paradise Bay Road. Ninety percent is eligible for reimbursement from the state County Road Administration Board.

■ A consulting agreement with GeoEngineers Inc. of Seattle for $278,924 for the Quinault South Shore Road mitigation project. The Federal Highway Administration emergency relief is providing 86.5 percent of the funding.

Port Townsend city

The Port Townsend City Council will discuss placing a $3.6 million bond issue on the Feb. 10 special election ballot when it meets Monday.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers at historic City Hall, 540 Water St.

The council seeks to support repairs for the Mountain View complex.

The measure will require a 60 percent majority to pass.

Council office hours, during which members of the public can discuss any topic with a member of the City Council, take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday in the mayor’s office at historic City Hall, 540 Water St.

The Planning Commission will continue its discussion of the Comprehensive Plan Docket from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursday in council chambers.

Port of Port Townsend

The Port of Port Townsend commissioners will discuss wastewater management in Quilcene at a meeting Wednesday.

The meeting begins at 1 p.m. in chambers, 333 Benedict St.

It is preceded by a budget workshop meeting at 9:30 a.m. in the same location

Jefferson PUD

Jefferson County Public Utility District commissioners will conduct a budget hearing that includes decreasing the PUD’s property tax levy before their regular meeting Monday.

The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. at 250 Chimacum Road, Port Hadlock.

Commissioners will discuss a staff recommendation that the district not require a property tax increase next year and that the 2015 levy amount should be $530,000. Staff says that is a decrease from the present amount.

Commissioners also will discuss a comparison of its low-income assistance program with other public utility districts.