The Ketchikan City Council will consider a temporary ban on retail marijuana establishments during its meeting on Thursday.
The Council had voted on Dec. 14th to delay a decision on retail pot until March. However, City Attorney Mitch Seaver expressed concern at that meeting that waiting until spring might not work, because the state will start accepting marijuana business license applications in February.
Seaver proposed the ordinance that is up for a first reading on Thursday. It would prohibit the operation of any commercial marijuana cultivation, manufacturing, testing or retail operation within city limits until Sept. 30th of this year.
The Council would have the option of changing that sunset date at any time. If the Council sticks with that date, it will have to decide by July how and whether to move forward with commercial pot.
If the ordinance passes in first reading on Thursday, it will come back to the Council for a second vote.
Also Thursday, the Council will talk about a possible tobacco tax within city limits, and will consider approval of a new three-year contract between the city and the Public Safety Employees Association. The tentative agreement, which has been ratified by union members, calls for a 1.6-percent raise the first year, retroactive to July 1st of 2015; and 2-percent raises each of the subsequent years.
The meeting starts at 7 p.m. Thursday in City Council chambers. Public comment will be heard at the start of the meeting
