The Callahan Town Council opted to pass a one-year moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries.
Councilmembers want more time to consider how dispensaries would operate, voting 3-2 on first reading Feb. 21 with councilmen Marty Fontes and David Mellecker dissenting.
Town Attorney Jeb Branham introduced Ordinance 2017-O01, which the council discussed, with Fontes in favor of medical marijuana dispensaries. He reminded the council that in November a majority of Nassau County’s citizens voted in approval of physician-prescribed marijuana use.
He said that dispensaries are not any different than establishments that offer alcoholic beverage sales. Also, with so many suffering from the ravages of cancer, he said that people should be able to purchase medicinal marijuana legally for medicinal purposes.
“I’d much rather have someone that needs it legally, than for them to get it from a street corner or order it from Colorado,” Fontes said.
Councilwoman Kathy Smith favored a moratorium because it will give state legislators and the town time to decide how to govern sales and operation.
Councilwoman Janet Shaw agreed with Smith.
Mellecker said that a moratorium wouldn’t prevent business owners from opening dispensaries outside of the town’s limits.
“It’s coming,” Smith said. “We’re not going to stop it.”
Mayor Bobby Rau said that he didn’t see a problem with the moratorium because it gives the state time to decide, adding that he has seen instances where legislators have rushed into making decisions in the past.
Mellecker reiterated that dispensaries could be “right outside our door.”
“We don’t have any monitoring rights anyway,” Rau said.
A public hearing on the issue will be held Monday night.
Turning to another item, Callahan Volunteer Station 5 Chief Joey Osteen expressed a need for approximately 16 new radios by December 2018.
Nassau County Fire Rescue plans to upgrade all its radios across the board by that deadline.
“That’s going to be an issue we’d like the council to talk about,” Osteen said.
Station 5 would need to upgrade its radios to stay online with NCFR.
It could cost from $80,000 to $125,000 to replace the old radios, Osteen said.
He also plans to ensure the radios are compatible with Hilliard’s Volunteer Fire Department for intercommunication purposes.
Osteen also needs to replace the station’s extrication equipment initially purchased in 1994. He said the equipment is outdated and can no longer cut through the materials used to manufacture new vehicles.
Fontes asked if there were any grants available.
Osteen has researched grants from the Florida Forest Service and sandwich chain Firehouse Subs but he hasn’t finalized any terms.
Another apparatus is also in need of approximately $6,000 in repairs, according to Osteen.
“We’re going to a lot of places to get grants on things,” Council President Ken Bass said.
To go toward expenses, Osteen said the firefighters have also considered utilizing funds raised from the Northeast Florida Fair booth.
The council will also consider whether to add the expense of eventually hiring Nassau County lobbyist Mark Anderson. He accompanied former District 5 Nassau County Commissioner Junior Boatright on a visit to the council chambers. Boatright apprised the council of Anderson’s accomplishments via negotiations with state politicians. Anderson already receives a salary of $60,000 from Nassau County to tackle county issues.
Anderson recently met with Rau and Town Manager Mike Williams to discuss the possibility of working as a lobbyist for the town.
Town officials have projects on tap, including expansions to the water and sewer system and a possible new town hall.
Anderson has been successful in the permitting and funding processes involving Thomas Creek, garnering approximately $600,000 per year to pay for desnagging the creek, according to Boatright.
Anderson was instrumental in locating $9 million in funds for widening sections of State Road 115. With Anderson’s urging, the Florida Department of Transportation expedited the funds that Rick Scott vetoed in 2016, Boatright said.
He would also work with Anderson on projects, the former commissioner said.
Anderson requested a $30,000 annual salary from the Town of Callahan, but said that his fee is negotiable. He doesn’t lobby for any small towns presently.
“What I get retained to do is to go after the things you want me to go after,” Anderson said.
Bass said cost is a factor.
“And it isn’t in the budget yet,” he said.
The council plans to discuss the proposal further. Branham said a contract could also be bid out competitively, perhaps driving the cost down even lower.