by Delta Discovery Staff
An ordinance by the Bethel City Council submitting to the qualified voters of the City of Bethel a ballot proposition initiated through marijuana local option petition passed introduction.
Proposed Ordinance 19-16, sponsored by Mayor Fred Watson, during the July 23rd, 2019 regular city council meeting passed introduction unanimously.
On June 18th, 2019, the City Clerk’s office certified a petition application for a marijuana local option question. The petition booklets were issued to the petitioners on June 19, 2019.
Petitioners had 90 days to secure 299 signatures from qualified Bethel voters, which is 25% of the number of votes cast at the City’s last regular election.
On July 9th, 2019, the City Clerk’s office received the petition booklets and the petition was certified on July 16th, 2019.
During council’s discussion, an amendment was made to the proposed ordinance to include some amended language as recommended by the City Clerk, which passed.
An election is scheduled for October 1st, 2019 for the purpose of submitting questions and a ballot proposition to the qualified voters of the City of Bethel for approval or rejections, states proposed Ordinance 19-16.
The proposition will be in this form, pending passage of the ordinance:
“Shall the City of Bethel adopt a local option to prohibit the sale or importation for sale of marijuana and any marijuana product and to prohibit the operation of any marijuana establishment, which includes the following license or endorsement types:
a) A retail marijuana store (both with and without an onsite consumption endorsement);
b) A marijuana cultivation facility;
c) A marijuana manufacturing facility;
d) A marijuana testing facility;
Yes No”
A yes vote on this ballot question means you want the community of Bethel to fall under local option preventing the operation of any marijuana businesses within the community of Bethel.
A no vote on this ballot questions means you want the community of Bethel to remain out of local option allowing for the operation of marijuana within the City of Bethel.
The proposition must receive a majority vote of the qualified voters in the City of Bethel voting on the question to be approved.
Public hearing on this proposed ordinance will take place during the City Council’s next regular meeting on August 13th, 2019.
