Here are some of the items the...

Here are some of the items the City Council discussed at Monday’s

meeting:

MEDICAL MARIJUANA

The council voted to enact a 45-day moratorium on the construction

of medical marijuana dispensaries within city limits. While medical

marijuana is legal under state law, federal statutes ban the use of

pot for any purpose. A case is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court

that could settle the debate. Councilwoman Debbie Cook voted against

the proposal and Mayor Jill Hardy was absent from the meeting.

WHAT IT MEANS

No one will be given a permit to build a medical marijuana

facility within city limits for the next month and a half. City Atty.

Jennifer McGrath said that no one has submitted a formal application

to build a medical marijuana dispensary, but an individual recently

inquired about the process.

VOTE: 5-1

FOURTH OF JULY PARADE VIEWING

The Huntington Beach City Council amended a 2-year-old law dealing

with how local residents are allowed to view the Fourth of July

parade. In the past, city residents were permitted to mark off a

portion of the sidewalk and center divider along Main Street as early

as the stroke of midnight on July 2 to reserve a space to view the

parade.

Police said the current law is unmanageable because residents stay

up all night, waiting until midnight to dash out in the street to

save their spot. The process also creates a large amount of litter

that is still visible weeks after the parade has ended.

WHAT IT MEANS

Under the new law, local residents won’t be able to stake out a

space along Main Street until 7 a.m. on July 3. They will be banned

from using tape to mark off a space. None of the reserved spaces will

be enforced by police.

VOTE: 6-0

KILLING WILD BIRDS

The council enacted a ban on the killing of wild birds first

introduced by former City Councilwoman Connie Boardman.

In 2004, Boardman learned that a pesticide was responsible for the

deaths of several wild birds around the Bolsa Chica wetlands area.

State law prohibits the city from outright banning the use of the

pesticide, so instead Boardman opted to simply ban the killing of

wild birds in general.

WHAT IT MEANS

Anyone caught killing a wild bird could face a criminal or civil

penalty. Killing a wild bird in city limits is now only allowed if

the person killing the bird meets one of the following criteria: a

licensed veterinarian practicing medicine; a person seeking to

prevent the death or injury of themselves or another person; a

government official that has the authority to kill birds.

VOTE: 6-0