Pubdate: Wed, 08 Aug 2001
Source: La Crosse Tribune (WI)
Copyright: 2001, The La Crosse Tribune
Contact:  http://www.lacrossetribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/229
Author: Joan Kent

COMMITTEE: POT STILL A CRIME

The La Crosse Common Council's Committee of the Whole Tuesday voted against 
changing a first-time marijuana conviction from a crime to a misdemeanor.

La Crosse County Circuit Court Judge John Perlich and four other judges had 
requested an ordinance that would allow the option of making first-time 
marijuana possession an ordinance violation instead of a crime.

Police Chief Ed Kondracki has disagreed with the change, saying that 
decriminalizing possession would send the wrong message.

Assistant District Attorney Todd Bjerke spoke against the change at the 
meeting. The current system gives officials a chance to educate first 
offenders on the dangers of drug abuse, he said.

"It just seems like a way to save time and not get them the education they 
need. You are just washing your hands of it."

"What kind of message do we want to send to our youth?" asked Police Sgt. 
Roger Barnes of the DARE program, urging the committee to reject the 
change. "It takes a village to raise a child. You are the leaders of the 
village."

Downtown council member John Satory, who was one three members voting for 
the change, said he was doing so out of respect for his late mother who 
used marijuana to decrease her pain as she was dying from cancer.

On other matters, the committee:

- ---Denied a request of Alamosa PCS to locate a cell tower on Hillview 
Health Care Center, 3501 Linden Drive. As the site is in a residential 
area, the request requires a conditional use permit, which involves 
notification of neighbors and public hearings. Several neighbors have 
objected to the tower.

La Crosse has nine cellular towers and has issued a permit for a 10th, all 
in areas zoned industrial, where the city allows towers if they comply with 
the city's height and setback requirements.

- ---Voted to increase the cat license fee to equal the fee for dog licenses.

Under the new fee schedule, license fees for an unaltered dog or cat would 
be $10, and the fee for a dog or cat that has been spayed or neutered would 
be $5.

The committee also voted to add catteries to the ordinance on kennel fees.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jo-D