The City of Cortez will hold a public hearing Tuesday as it considers a temporary prohibition on recreational marijuana sales.
In a wait-and-see mode, city council members voted unanimously earlier this month to move ahead with an immediate 10-month moratorium on any new medical marijuana and retail marijuana establishments.
City attorney Mike Green said there were “too many unknowns right now” regarding how state legislators would implement a voter-approved mandate to reform marijuana prohibition laws.
Green said the moratorium was needed until state officials ironed out licensing, budgeting and regulatory details during their next legislative session. The public hearing is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.
The public hearing is slated to be held as city leaders vote to officially adopt the proposed moratorium.
If passed, the moratorium would sunset next June.
Cortez medical marijuana business owner Paul Coffey supports the city moratorium until state officials adopt proper guidelines and procedures, but he argues the city should impose some of the rules and regulations, cautioning the moratorium could choke out potential tax revenues.
“As a business owner, the one thing we can guarantee is that somebody will be in the very first day we open,” said the Beacon Wellness Group owner.
In other business, the city council will also address the following items at the meeting:
A more-than-$2.7 million construction bid for an airport taxiway shoulder project
A near-$280,000 construction bid, which reduces the scope of the 2013 median beautification project
A new bank account for depositing sales tax revenues
tbaker@cortezjournal.com
