The Ketchikan City Council will talk about marijuana during its regular Thursday meeting.
The discussion item was placed on the agenda by Council Members KJ Harris and Bob Sivertsen. They’re on the ad hoc Marijuana Advisory Committee, along with Borough Assembly, School Board and Saxman elected officials.
The MAC members want to get an idea of what other elected officials think about allowing marijuana businesses to operate in the community. Voters last fall approved a measure legalizing pot, so adults now can possess, grow and use marijuana, but selling pot is not yet legal anywhere in the state.
State officials are working on regulations for retail sales, which should be complete by this fall. Individual communities, though, are allowed to ban commercial sales of marijuana.
In other matters, the Council will consider increasing the salary for the vacant public works director position. The city has been advised by a recruiting agency that the current salary is about 17 percent below the market average for similar jobs. The new salary range would be about $20,000 more per year.
Also Thursday, the Council will consider awarding the city’s public defender contract to Joe Kovac, who plans to leave the state prosecutor’s office next month to open a private practice.
For many years Dennis McCarty has held the city’s public defender contract. McCarty is retiring in June.
Thursday’s Ketchikan City Council meeting starts at 7 p.m. in City Council chambers. Public comment will be heard at the start of the meeting.
