Citizen Centennial 5-9-13
Centennial
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May 10, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourcentennialnews.com
City pot rules taking shape Year-long moratorium, ban on shops among early decisions By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com In an effort to slow the creep of commercial pot within Centennial, city officials took a stab at shaping how it wants to deal with the budding new industry created by Colorado’s controversial Amendment 64. On May 6, Ordinance 2013-O-10 passed unanimously, enacting a year-long, citywide moratorium on commercial marijuana cultivation facilities. The new ordinance also regulates the
manner in which marijuana may be grown for personal use, prohibits the use of marijuana on city-owned or city-leased property, and prohibits marijuana enterprises from operating within the city. The moratorium will take effect Sept. 30 and, according to City Attorney Robert Widner, would only suspend the application and processing of business permits. However, council raised concerns that some businesses, which might not require a permit to locate within the city, may push the issue by saying the moratorium does not apply to them. “An example would be this new wave of vending machines that sells marijuana,� he said.
“They advocate that they don’t need a city permit since the city does not regulate the location of vending machines.� Widner said in response to that, the city added a catch-all phrase to the ordinance that states any business that does not require a permit will be prohibited. “We did that just as a place-holder,� explained Widner. Motivation for the moratorium stems from the city’s concerns that unclear issues with the state’s regulatory scheme could dump responsibility into the lap of local municipalities. Historically councilmembers, as well as Mayor Cathy Noon herself, have questioned the outright ban, favoring a lengthy
moratorium and adopting a wait-and-see approach. The 12-month moratorium buys the city time to research and formalize any plans it might have to put the issue on the ballot in 2014. Widner said the city is ahead of the curve with a strong existing medical marijuana ordinance, upon which the recreational use ordinance is directly modeled. Amendment 64 permits a locality, such as Centennial, to prohibit the operation of marijuana growing facilities, marijuana product manufacturing facilities, marijuana testing facilities or retail marijuana stores through the enactment of an ordinance.
Election overhaul advances
Republicans incensed over proposed changes By By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com
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Getting a feel for the wheel Students discover driving not just visual experience By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com For most American teenagers, driving a car has become a rite of passage, but for Andre Jackson that passage almost didn’t happen. That’s because Jackson is legally blind. But thanks to a partnership with MasterDrive in Englewood, Jackson and 30 of his classmates at the Colorado Center for the Blind in Littleton got a chance to test their driving skills on May 2 in a customized driving class. Before getting behind the wheel, students were required to attend an hour-long class, familiarizing them with the functions of the car, the course and general safety. “What we do is, essentially, give these kids an experience they may otherwise never get,� said Spencer Pace, a driving instructor with the nationally franchised driving school. “And that’s the chance to drive a real car.� Under the careful eye of trained driving instructors, the low-vision and blind students were verbally coached through a series of driving obstacles, including a slalom course and skid recovery. “Oh man, this is great,� Jackson said with a big toothy grin.
4UVEFOUT GSPN UIF $PMPSBEP $FOUFS GPS UIF #MJOE NBEF UIFJS XBZ UISPVHI PCTUBDMFT EVSJOH B .BZ DMBTT BU UIF $FOUFOOJBM GBDJMJUZ PG .BTUFS%SJWF B OBUJPOBMMZ GSBODIJTFE ESJWJOH TDIPPM .PSF UIBO TUVEFOUT UPPL QBSU JO UIF BOOVBM FWFOU B QBSUOFSTIJQ CFUXFFO .BTUFS%SJWF BOE UIF -JUUMFUPO CBTFE DFOUFS “Now I can go pick up my date.� Pace explained that while the students were unable to see, they were very much able to feel subtle changes in the car’s movement. “For example, they pick up on things like how the car’s weight shifts from side to side during the slalom course,� he said. “So we build their confidence with a series of basic skills before taking them out to the skid pad.� The vehicles, facility and coaching staff were provided by MasterDrive. There was
no cost to CCB. “At the Colorado Center for the Blind, our students participate in a wide variety of activities,� said Brent Batron, director of youth programs. “We push our students so they’ll believe they can work and live full lives.� “Driving is something that most of us in our society take for granted,� said Mark Stolberg, Master Drive’s senior vice president of training. “Driving is not only a visual experience, as the blind drivers will discover.�
A Democrat-sponsored overhaul to how elections are conducted in Colorado passed the Senate on May 2, much to the chagrin of incensed Republicans who uniformly object to the effort. House Bill 1303 — the “Voter Access and Modernized Elections Act� — would make substantial changes to the state’s voting and registration process, primarily by allowing residents the ability to register to vote all the way up through Election Day. Also, every registered voter would receive a ballot in the mail. That includes socalled “inactive voters� — those who currently do not receive mail ballots because they did not vote in the Report previous election. The bill essentially does away with polling precincts as we know them, and instead sets up “polling centers� where any eligible voter can show up to cast a ballot. Democrats believe the bill modernizes elections and allows for greater involvement in the voting process. “At the end of the day, all we will find is that more people who are registered to vote will do so,� said Senate Majority Leader Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora. Democrats are touting this as a bipartisan piece of legislation, because the vast majority of county clerks in the state support the measure, including those who are Republican. But Republicans senators were apoplectic over the bill, which they dubbed the “Voter Fraud Act.� They argue that allowing same-day voter registration opens the door to more cheats casting ballots. “I have not talked to one clerk and recorder, except for maybe two, who think that same-day voter registration is a good thing, and that we should be allowing this huge open door for voter fraud to come to the state,� said Sen. Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch.
Capitol
Election continues on Page 12
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