Pubdate: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 Source: Register, The (MA) Copyright: 2014, Community Newspaper Co. Contact: http://www2.townonline.com/barnstable/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3597 Author: Stephen Downing POOLS, POT AND THE CITY HALL BUBBLE On Sept. 17 members of the Long Beach community gathered to see a concept shaped by a 13-member Stakeholder Advisory Committee that envisioned a plan for a $99 million pool facility. The community meeting presented what the deputy city manager called the latest design suggestion for the pool. He also announced "This is not a done deal, it is an interactive process." The next day, on Sept. 18, members of the Long Beach community gathered to listen to a discussion by members of the Planning Commission related to a medical marijuana ordinance proposed by City Hall staffers from the Planning Department and the City Attorney's office. There was no 13-member Stakeholder Advisory Committee present for this project, because one was never appointed. Following discussion of the wished-for ordinance submitted by City Hall staffers, the Commission allowed public comment. Unlike the swimming pool discussions and breakout group dialogues, no one was allowed more than three minutes to express their views. Most community members used their three minutes to oppose the ordinance as being uninformed, oppressive, unreasonably restrictive, a minefield for litigation with regressive employment restrictions, poor patient access, and, most importantly, lacking in industry expertise, patient sensitivity and meaningful community input. The City Hall staffers objected to the representations that there was no outside input. They alleged that they spent many hours listening to the various community interests. They very well may have listened to a select few as others suffered numerous phone calls never returned - but, all of the "listening" that did take place inside the city hall bubble was arbitrated by the staffers who decided what was and what was not going to be recommended to the Planning Commission. The product they produced is clear evidence that recommendations from a Stakeholders committee - an essential ingredient in the ordinance crafting track - was absent. Clearly, the staffers listened more to the cynical public safety fear mongering offered by the police department, most of which was debunked by written testimony, than they did from those in the community who could have offered expertise, patient compassion and a public viewpoint outside the City Hall bubble. Had the City Council required the Planning Commission to form a well-rounded 13-member Stakeholder Advisory Committee to come up with a plan - like they evidently did with the Belmont Pool project - a better product would have been presented to the Planning Commission. Fortunately, the Planning Commissioners came to recognize that the expertise and information they received from inside City Hall was either lacking or untrustworthy and chose to apply their expertise and recommendations only to the zoning facets of the ordinance and return the administrative and regulatory meat contained in the proposed ordinance to the City Council without recommendation. When the proposed ordinance reaches Council, they should first recognize that Long Beach is not "pioneering" a medical marijuana ordinance, as city staff continues to assert. Since Proposition 215 was passed in 1996, local jurisdictions in California such as Berkeley and Oakland, developed regulations very early in the game. Other cities, such as San Francisco, were tasked with developing regulations amidst an already burgeoning market. Today, all of these cities have successful frameworks for the density, location, size and structure of medical marijuana distribution, as well as methods to administer, regulate and ensure program oversight. These cities have no significant complaints from their communities and their ordinances are not unjustly harsh and restricting. Our newly elected City Council should look upon the "administrative meat" of the proposed ordinance as tainted, throw it out and appoint a 13-member Stakeholder Advisory Committee to design a new product, based upon proven real world solutions and community need. Then, and only then, should a proposed ordinance come before the Council for debate, decision and consignment to the city attorney for a draft ordinance that accommodates the decisions of the community and the Council. This approach will insure that both our pool and pot programs are products of the community and those it elects rather than that of wannabee puppet masters inhabiting the City Hall bubble. Stephen Downing is a Long Beach resident and a retired LAPD deputy chief of police. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt