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Home My WebLink About102-Attachment for Urgency Ord.pdf1 AN INTERIM URGENCY ORDINANCE CREATING A TEMPORY MORATORIUM RESTRICTING MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES FROM BEING LOCATED IN THE CITY OF SARATOGA, TO TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SARATOGA THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SARATOGA FINDS AND DECLARES AS FOLLOWS: WHEREAS, in 1996 the voters of the State of California approved Proposition 215 which was codified as Health and Safety Code Section 11362.5, et seq., and entitled “The Compassionate Use Act of 1996” (“the Act”); and WHEREAS, the intent of the Act was to enable seriously ill persons to obtain, use and cultivate marijuana for medical use under limited, specified circumstances; and WHEREAS, on January 1, 2004, Senate Bill 420, the Medical Marijuana Program Act (“MMPA”), became effective to clarify the scope of the Act and to allow cities and counties to adopt and enforce rules and regulations consistent with the MMPA and the Act; and WHEREAS, as a result of the Act and the MMPA, individuals have established medical marijuana dispensaries in various cities in California, and WHEREAS, on June 6, 2005, the United States Supreme Court found in Gonzales v. Raich, 125 S. Ct. 2195 (2005) there to be no legally recognizable medical necessity exception under the Federal Controlled Substances Act to the prohibition of possession, use, manufacture, or distribution of marijuana under federal law, and WHEREAS, in February 2009 the U.S. Attorney General stated that federal law enforcement official would ease enforcement at medical marijuana dispensaries, and in October 2009, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a memorandum stating that federal resources should not be focused on prosecution of individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for medical use of marijuana, and WHEREAS, while the experiences in the regulation and policing of medical marijuana dispensaries have varied from city to city, several California cities have reported an increase in crime, such as burglary, robbery, odor, loitering around the dispensaries, an increase in vehicular traffic and noise in the vicinity of dispensaries, and the sale of illegal drugs, including the illegal resale of marijuana from dispensaries, in the areas immediately surrounding such medical marijuana dispensaries, and WHEREAS, The City of Saratoga has not adopted rules and regulations specifically applicable to the establishment and operation of medical marijuana dispensaries and the 2 lack of such controls may lead to an establishment of dispensaries and the inability for the City to regulate these establishments in a manner that will protect the general public, homes and businesses adjacent and near such businesses, and the patients or clients of such establishments, and WHEREAS, based on the lack of any consistent experience of cities statewide and in the absence of any regulatory program in the City regarding the review of the establishment and operation of medical dispensaries, the City should consider whether negative effects on the public health, safety, and welfare may occur in the City of Saratoga as a result of the operation of medical marijuana dispensaries and the lack of appropriate regulations governing the establishment and operation of such facilities, and WHEREAS, City staff requires time to evaluate the relevant issues and develop guidance for legally appropriate regulation, and WHEREAS, the establishment of, or the issuance or approval of any permit, certificate of occupancy, or other entitlement for the legal establishment of a medical marijuana dispensary in the City of Saratoga will result in a current and immediate threat to public health, safety and welfare in that the Saratoga Municipal Code does not currently regulate the location and operation of medical marijuana dispensaries and does not have a regulatory program in effect that will appropriately regulate the location, establishment, and operation of medical dispensaries in the City, and WHEREAS, there is no feasible alternative to satisfactorily study the potential impact identified above as well or better than the adoption of this interim urgency moratorium ordinance. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Saratoga as follows: SECTION 1. For purposes of this ordinance, “medical marijuana dispensary” means any for profit or not-for-profit facility or location, whether permanent or temporary, where the owner(s) or operator(s) intends to or does possess and distribute marijuana for any purpose. SECTION 2. For the period of this ordinance, or any extension thereof, a medical marijuana dispensary shall be considered a prohibited use in any zoning district of the City, even if located within an otherwise permitted use. No permits or authorizations for a medical marijuana dispensary shall issue while this ordinance is in effect. SECTION 3. The City Manager or his designees shall: (1) review and consider options for the regulation of medical marijuana dispensaries in the City, including, but not limited to, the development of appropriate rules and regulations governing the location and operation of such establishments in the City; (2) meet with medical patients, advocates, law enforcement representatives, and other interested parties; 3 and (3) provide to the City Council a written report describing the measures which the City has taken to address the conditions which led to the adoption of this ordinance. SECTION 4. The City Council finds that this ordinance is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) (Title 14, of the California Code of Regulations) because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly; it prevents changes in the environment pending the completion of the contemplated Municipal Code review. SECTION 5. This interim urgency ordinance is adopted pursuant to Section 65858 of the California Government Code. SECTION 6. This interim urgency ordinance shall take effect immediately upon its adoption by a four-fifths (4/5) vote of the City Council. This interim urgency ordinance shall continue in effect for forty-five (45) days from the date of its adoption and shall thereafter be of no further force and effect unless, after notice pursuant to California Government Code Section 65090 and a public hearing, the City Council extends this interim urgency ordinance for an additional period of time pursuant to California Government Code Section 65858. SECTION 7. If any section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause, phrase or word in this Ordinance or any part hereof is for any reason, held to be unconstitutional or invalid, or ineffective by any court of competent jurisdiction such decision shall not affect the validity of effectiveness of the remaining portions of the Ordinance or any part hereof. The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this Ordinance and each section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause and phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, subdivisions, sentences, clauses, phrases or words be declared unconstitutional. SECTION 8. This ordinance or a comprehensive summary thereof shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation of the City of Saratoga within fifteen days after its adoption. [Continued next page.] 4 The foregoing ordinance was introduced and read at the regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Saratoga held on the 18th day of November, 2009, and was adopted by at least a four-fifths (4/5) vote of the City Council as follows: COUNCIL MEMBERS: AYES: NAYS: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: SIGNED: __________________________________ CHUCK PAGE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SARATOGA Saratoga, California ATTEST: __________________________________ ANN SULLIVAN CLERK OF THE CITY OF SARATOGA Saratoga, California APPROVED AS TO FORM: ____________________________________________ RICHARD TAYLOR, CITY ATTORNEY