Council to vote on med pot dispensaries

After months of public comment and discussion, the Havre City Council will hold its final vote Monday on whether to ban medical marijuana storefront dispensaries in the city.

A second and final reading of the proposed ordinance is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at City Hall.

The ordinance would regulate land use in general terms, prohibiting land within the city from being permitted or conditionally permitted for any use that violates federal, state or local law.

Mayor Tim Solomon broke a 3-3 tie on the proposal’s first reading at the council’s Dec. 5. meeting. Council President Andrew Brekke and council members Karen Swenson and Denise Brewer voted for the ban, while members Caleb Hutchins, Jay Pyette and Matthew Boucher voted against it.

Members Terry Lilletvedt and Ed Matter were not at the meeting.

For months the council’s Ordinance Committee discussed whether the council should prohibit, regulate through zoning or issue a temporary moratorium on storefronts.

Under a moratorium new storefronts would be barred from opening, the two existing storefronts in the city could remain open during a 60-day moratorium, while the city gathered more information on whether they might lose federal grant funding if storefronts were regulated through zoning.

The committee voted 2-2 at their Nov. 29 meeting on separate proposals one to ban storefronts and another to impose a moratorium. The tie prevented either proposal from moving forward.

A third proposal to restrict through zoning where storefronts can locate was not voted on.

Havre is Montana’s only Class One city that does not either ban or regulate through zoning Medical marijuana store fronts.

Billings, Great Falls, Helena and Kalispell all prohibit storefronts. Butte, Bozeman and Missoula restrict them through zoning.