SIDNEY — Medical marijuana continues to be a topic of consideration for Sidney City Council.
Law Director Jeffrey Amick sought direction from council after highlighting some of the main points of the medical marijuana program at Monday evening’s meeting.
Amick said Ohio’s program permits “the cultivation, processing, dispensing, possession and use of marijuana for medical purposes” only. He said dispensaries are prohibited within 500 feet of a school, church, public playground, public park or public library.
Amick reminded council the law took effect in September of 2017, but said it won’t be fully operational until Sept. 8, 2018. However, the 270 day moratorium instituted by the city will expire on June 5, 2017, so he presented council with alternative actions they may take, and they are:
• Take no further action and let the current 270 day moratorium expire. Amick said even though the program will not be fully operational until Sept. 8, 2018, if the city does nothing, someone could be given a licence by the state that may be difficult to break;
• Enact legislation to permanently ban dispensing within Sidney;
• Extend the moratorium for an additional period;
• Enact legislation to fix the number and locations of allowable dispensaries in the city.
Amick said dispensary licences will be awarded on a fairly competitive basis on a two year renewable term. He said until Sept. 8, 2018, only 40 sites will be approved statewide.
He informed council the only thing the city cannot limit is for a local doctor to write a medical marijuana prescription that a patient may go elsewhere to get filled. Amick said currently most communities are proceeding under the “wait and see” method. Cities that are the exception to this are Evandale, which instituted a permanent ban, and Troy, which proposed to limit the number or dispensaries to one (but has not been enacted, yet). After some brief discussion, council directed Amick to draw up legislation to extend the moratorium until Oct. 9, 2017.
Sidney Convention and Visitors Bureau President Jeff Raible gave council a 2016 performance review and offered insight into 2017 on the destination marketing organization.
Raible detailed the Visitiors Bureau’s numerous advertising sources in print and online, as well as events they promote and/or sponsor. He walked council through their redesigned website, published last June, and spoke about the importance of their Facebook presence. Raible also explained various other ways they bring awareness of Sidney and Shelby County’s attractions, from the AAA Great Vacation Expo to Visitor Guide distribution.
He said in 2017, they are adding television and video to their arsenal on the Sports Time Ohio channel and online. And new this year, they are supporting the Ohio State CYO Basketball Tournament, Sidney Alive and the Shelby County Fair.
In other business, Council adopted an ordinance amending the traffic control map to establish a “No Parking” zone on the east side of Wilkinson Avenue beginning at the south cube line of Culvert Street proceeding 400-feet to the south.
Sidney Engineering Manager Randy Magoto said, “Due to the poor condition of the existing buildings formerly known as Wagner Manufacturing … it is in the interest of public safety to establish the no parking zone.”
Council also adopted five resolutions, and they are:
• Accepting the replat of Orthopedic Association’s nine parcels to create one new lot, located north of Michigan Street, east Third Avenue and south of Forest Street in the community business district.
• Authorization for the consumption and possession of beer and liquor on public property; Raise the Roof for the Arts and Sidney Alive asked council for permission for alcohol to be sold and consumed on city property during the Backstage Block Party concert series on June 24, July 29, and Aug. 26, 2017. The event will be located in the parking lot behind The Historic Sidney Theatre and the Post Office beginning at 5:30 until 10 p.m.
• Authorization of payment of $146,500 to Mannik & Smith Group Inc. for the initial engineering services for the State Route 47 Improvement Project.
• The appointment of Douglas Stewart to the Revolving Loan Committee to the serve the remainder of Susan Kaser’s three-year term, which expires on July 1, 2019. This is Stewart’s first board appointment. The committee screens applications for loans from money repaid to Sidney from Revolving Loan Fund Grants.
• Authorization of the city manager to enter into an agreement to extend Sidney’s electricity aggregation purchase contract with AGE one year.
Council Member Janet Born was ill; her absence was excused by council.
In addition, council held an executive session to prepare for negotiations or bargaining sessions with public employees and for pending or imminent court action. No action was taken when they emerged from the executive session.
