Pubdate: Fri, 22 May 2009
Source: Sonoma Valley Sun (CA)
Copyright: 2009 Sonoma Valley Sun
Contact:  http://sonomasun.thmm.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4881
Author: Val Robichaud, Special to the Sun
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

COUNCIL'S DEADLOCK DOOMS POT CLUB ORDINANCE

Sonoma Mayor Ken Brown momentarily stepped aside and  Sonoma City
Council member Joanne Sanders changed her  vote Wednesday night,
deadlocking the city council and  effectively killing the ordinance
that would have  allowed a medical marijuana dispensary in Sonoma.

As with previous hearings on the issue, council members  Laurie
Gallian and Steve Barbose were in support and  August Sebastiani
opposed it. Sanders, whose vote  became critical after Brown announced
he would not take  part on the advice of counsel, had previously
supported  the ordinance.

"I'm not going to vote for this," she said, creating  the 2-2 tie that
killed the measure. (Marijuana) is  against the law. We should not
encourage lawlessness."

Even with Sanders' switch, Brown's vote in support  would have put the
measure over the top. But when the  item came up on the agenda, he
unexpectedly announced  that he would not participate, and left the
nearly  filled chambers.

Fifteen members of the public addressed the council. Of  the five
clearly in favor of the ordinance, four said  they operated medical
marijuana dispensaries in other  communities.

Opening the councilmember comments, Sebastiani said, "I  have not
moved on this issue. I'm steadfastly opposed."  Gallian followed. "The
compassionate side of this is to  say yes," she said. "It's not a
popular decision, but  it's the right one."

Sanders then surprised the crowd by announcing that  after much
deliberation she had come to oppose the  dispensary. "The votes were
up here," she said of the  bill's history, "but now that Mayor Brown
has recused  himself, the dynamic has changed."

Barbose, acting as chair, did not bother bringing the  measure to a
vote. He reiterated his support, but  acknowledged that because "Mayor
Brown is absent and  will be absent," the council is unlikely to
revisit the  issue any time soon.

Brown was not legally precluded from participating,  Sonoma City
Attorney Jim James told the Sun, but was  advised by James and by City
Manager Linda Kelly not to  take part, presumably because his wife
Jewel Mathieson  is a member of one of the groups intending to apply
for  a dispensary permit, had the ordinance been approved.  Following
that item, Brown returned to chair the rest  of the meeting.

In other business, the Council amended the noticing  requirements for
applications involving  telecommunications facilities. The 5-0
decision was  intended to avoid the public outcry that arose when a
microwave tower was installed on the campus of Sonoma  Valley High
School. In that case, parents and neighbors  complained that they had
not received adequate notice  of the proposed tower.

Finally, the council also voted to support Petaluma in  its opposition
to a proposed asphalt and recycling  plant for that city. Despite
Petaluma's own opposition,  and that of various environmental groups,
the county  has approved the project. Petaluma City Council member
David Glass and several leaders from that community  came to the
meeting and asked the Sonoma City Council  to send a letter of
protest, as other communities  reportedly have, to the county.

Though it passed unanimously, the vote was only 3-0, as  both Sanders
and Sebastiani declined to participate.  Chided by Barbose for bad
manners in not hearing out  the speakers, Sanders later explained that
she has  consistently opposed getting Sonoma involved in the  affairs
of other cities. She was also concerned that  any rebuke of the Sonoma
County Board of Supervisors by  the Sonoma City Council might damage
relationships  between the two bodies. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jo-D