Council Roundup: marijuana regulations adopted (1)

Plus, Human Services funding recommendations and winter weather preparedness

On Monday night, the City Council voted to enact two ordinances concerning permanent marijuana regulations. The ordinances replace interim regulations limiting retail recreational marijuana site locations, banning medical marijuana cooperatives and marijuana research uses, and imposing civil fines and allowing for the abatement of violations of certain provisions of the state medical marijuana laws.

Councilmembers voted 4-3 to adopt Ordinance No. 6316, which amends the Land Use Code to permit no more than one marijuana retailer within specific subareas, allow for two marijuana retailers in BelRed, and allow for an additional retailer in the Medical Institution or BelRed Medical Office-1 districts in the BelRed and Wilburton subareas. It also caps the number of stores in the city at six and sets a requirement for a 100-foot buffer between residential districts. In addition, the council unanimously voted to adopt Ordinance No. 6317, which permanently amends the Bellevue City Code to impose civil penalties and abatement actions for violations of certain provisions of the Medical Cannabis Act, RCW 69.51A.

Without Monday's action, the interim regulations would have expired as early as Wednesday.

Human Services funding recommendations
During the study sessions, councilmembers were briefed on the Human Services Commission's funding recommendations for the 2017-18. The commission devoted nine meetings to its work and ultimately recommended a combined total of $4.5 million for the Human Services Fund and a community development block grant. During the process, 97 applications for funding were reviewed.

The Human Services Fund is generally applied toward local organizations operating programs targeting five community goals:

• food and shelter
• supportive relationships within families, neighborhoods and communities
• safe havens from violence and abuse
• health care
• education and job services.

Councilmembers praised the commission for its work, while noting the many challenges facing the community. The council will consider an ordinance for the recommended human services funding during its approval of the operating budget in December.

Getting ready for winter weather
Earlier in the evening, Transportation Director Dave Berg briefed councilmembers on how city staff prepare for the possibility of severe weather such as snow, ice, flooding and windstorms. He also encouraged members of the public to get their homes and vehicles ready now for winter weather.

The Transportation Department takes the lead during snow and ice storms, but works with other city staff and shares resources with the Utilities, Parks & Community Services, and Civic Services departments for a coordinated response. Top priorities are keeping people safe, protecting property and maintaining or restoring mobility.

Responding to snow and ice can be challenging in Bellevue, where elevations vary from near sea level to over 1,400 feet in the hills south of Interstate 90. The city's fleet of seven four-by-four vehicles and eight larger, five-yard trucks is usually sufficient to plow snow at higher elevations. But for a citywide storm, higher priority routes used by emergency vehicles would take precedence over streets in residential neighborhoods. The focus is always to do the most good for the most people.

Bellevue uses various social media channels and its website to inform the public during storms and other emergencies. Visit the city home page for updated information during a storm, or sign up for email notifications on the Extreme Weather Response page where there are links to emergency preparedness pages on a range of topics. A Snow Response Priorities map shows which city streets get prioritized for snow plowing.