CITY COUNCIL WRAP-UP

MARIJUANA

Reaffirming its vote two weeks ago, the council voted 5-2 to ban medical marijuana dispensaries in Huntington Beach. Supporters said they feared such establishments drew crime. Councilwomen Jill Hardy and Debbie Cook voted against the ordinance; Cook said the ill should have whatever medications can help them, and that the city had no dispensary problem to solve. Huntington Beach has never had a dispensary.

“I’m sorry we can’t at least leave things the way they are,” Cook said. “If problems arise, deal with them when they arise.”

WHAT IT MEANS

The zoning code no longer has provisions for medical marijuana dispensaries, and there will no longer be a way to apply for a license to open one in Huntington Beach, even theoretically.

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SEWAGE AND WATER RATE ADJUSTMENT

The council voted 7-0 to raise some charges on water bills, lower others, and raise sewer bills slightly. Overall city staff are estimating the average single family home will save 89 cents on the two bills put together.

WHAT IT MEANS

At the same time, the law would give the city more powers to repair certain sewer lines on private property at the owner’s expense, if those lines are within the public right-of-way. Private sewer lines on private property that isn’t in the right-of-way would be the owner’s responsibility.

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EMERGENCY CALL CENTER CONSOLIDATION

The Council voted 7-0 to study the costs and benefits of consolidating all of its emergency dispatching into one place. Currently the city sends out emergency calls to police and marine safety workers using its own employees, while it contracts out its fire dispatching to the MetroNet company, which does a similar job for many cities in the area.

Mayor Gil Coerper, who introduced the measure, said he had visited cities with all their operations in one building and it appeared much more efficient.

WHAT IT MEANS

City staff will study the issue, with special consideration of the fact that the city paid $771,894 to MetroNet last year, with rates rising at 8% to 10% each year.

Such a move would require a new facility, as current buildings couldn’t hold such operations, City Administrator Penny Culbreth-Graft said.