Pubdate: Mon, 31 Aug 2015
Source: Porterville Recorder (CA)
Copyright: 2015 Freedom Communications Inc.
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/AJm5UIc8
Website: http://www.recorderonline.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2887
Author: Kelli Ballard

MARIJUANA ORDINANCE UP FOR REVIEW

It's been nearly a year since the marijuana ordinance went into 
effect for the city of Porterville and Tuesday the council members 
will review to see if the ordinance has been effective.

Some of the topics to be reviewed and considered for possible change 
include drought concerns and the amount of water the plants use, 
patients with drug-related felonies, and the possibility of a dispensary.

With drought a huge concern and the state mandated conservation 
program that requires cities to conserve at least 25 percent of water 
usage (Porterville's goal is 32 percent), city staff expressed 
concerns of the ability to maintain the required conservation amounts 
of water usage with plants that use a lot of water. According to a 
staff report, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife 
estimates a single marijuana plant uses six to eight gallons of water 
per plant, per day. These numbers may vary depending on the variety 
of the plant and how it is grown.

"In any event, the daily requirement for water is inconsistent with 
other outdoor watering restrictions," states the staff report. "In 
fact, one of the permit holders has water usage over the last few 
months as much as three three times higher than that of an average 
household. Whether or not this relates to the garden is not certain."

The current marijuana ordinance states that no one who has had a 
drugrelated felony conviction within seven years will be able to get 
a grow or cultivation permit. However, there have been several 
changes in state law in regards to felonies including Proposition 47, 
which reduces many felony convictions to a misdemeanor. The council 
will review the recent changes to the law and discuss options for 
regulating permits.

Medical marijuana dispensaries were not permitted in the ordinance, 
but staff will present information to the council to discuss the 
possibility of modifying to allow them in the ordinance. Several 
staff members, Mayor Milt Stowe and Vice Mayor Cam Hamilton attended 
a tour of a

dispensary and will provide a discussion on their experiences.

In other business, the council will:

hold a public hearing to discuss annexation of area 480, also known 
as Chelsa Rose area

receive a presentation of potential county regional transportation

impact fees as proposed by the Tulare County Association of Governments

consideration of terminating the Joint Power Agreement with 
Consolidated Waste Management Authority

The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in city hall.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom