By Alyssa Sperrazza
Staff Writer
Piedmont City Council delved into a proposed medical marijuana ordinance and addressed the traffic problems associated with Piedmont Public Schools during Monday’s meeting.
The meeting also included an audit with the council unanimously approving the 2017-2018 report.
The first ordinance discussed Monday was Ordinance No. 660, focusing on medical marijuana.
City Attorney Mike Segler said other cities were looked upon for some examples when drafting the ordinance but other considerations like privacy and personal health information were taken into account along with state law.
“There is no requirement that people with medical marijuana licenses register with the city or obtain licenses or report in any form or fashion,” Segler explained. “The state only keeps their name, address and number. That’s where the lawsuits are coming from. People saying cities are being more restrictive than the state law when they require card owners to register in the city. That’s protected health information.”
The council discussed a potential problem regarding students who live in homes of someone who uses medical marijuana, asking if there’d be an issue should the student create “a nuisance” and come to school smelling like the substance.
Piedmont Police Chief Scott Singer said should that instance occurs, the police and the school would use reasonable inquiry, not jumping to conclusions why the student smelled of marijuana.
“I think the school has reasonable inquiry and that would be an administrative issue and not for the police department,” Singer said. “It’s reasonable to make inquiry and if the inquiry shows that mom and dad, have for instance medical marijuana permits and they smoke in the home, the school should act in an appropriate manner.”
The council voted unanimously to approve Ordinance No. 660, establishing permit fees and establishing location restrictions and conditions of operation and setting permit fees for retailers, commercial growers and processors.
Permit fees will be renewable July 1 of each year.
TRAFFIC
CONGESTION
Another ordinance discussed was Ordinance No. 659, amending the traffic and vehicles chapter to require a traffic management plan at the creation, remodel or addition of any school.
Piedmont resident Ron Cardwell spoke to the council and said this traffic management plan is something he has been trying to get the school district to act on for years.
“This management plan is well long overdue,” Cardwell said. “It’s been discussed and it is, I believe, a well-known fact that parking on a route, blocking traffic, is against [illegal]. It is part of the traffic rule that you’re not allowed to do. As part of the exhibits that I presented to the school district, to the superintendent and to the school board, which fell upon deaf ears, there is some very low-cost solution to taking the parking off of Piedmont Road. Hopefully, something can be done, work together between the city and the school, to address a lot of these safety concerns.”
The council agreed with Cardwell that the traffic problems pose safety issues and expressed their own frustration that the school district has refused to take action.
“We have tried for a number of years to get the school to at least talk to us about a traffic management plan,” Councilman John Brown said. “The city actually paid for and did a traffic study and sent it to the schools and they just basically said, ‘It’s not our problem.’ Jason [Orr] and I have both talked to school board members and they have said, ‘It’s not our problem.’ So since they won’t come to the table, we have no choice but to do something to bring them to the table. What this ordinance will do is anytime they add onto a school, it’s gonna require them to show us what they’re gonna do with the traffic. I think the situation is out of control.”
The council voted unanimously to approve Ordinance 659, placing the ball in the school district’s court. Piedmont Public Schools did not return a request for comment.
Several issues were tabled till next month including discussion if the city will renew their contract with the WCA waste management service before the contract expires in July. The council will also discuss the approval of a newly compiled Code of Ordinances.
