Sellers market prevails in Gilbert
Mayoral hopefuls detail spending
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An edition of the East Valley Tribune
INSIDE
This Week
NEWS.................................3 GPS, Higley schools earn A+ honors.
BUSINESS................ 23 Campo Verde student’s business a beauty.
FREE ($1 OUTSIDE OF GILBERT) | GilbertSunNews.com
Sunday, October 18, 2020
Council just says no to recreational weed BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
G
ilbert is saying no to the sale, cultivation and storage of recreational marijuana in town. Town Council last week voted unanimously for the ban should voters approve Proposition 207 on Nov. 3, which legalizes cannabis use and possession for adults. The initiative also would impose a 16 percent tax on pot sales. “I look at this subject from a standpoint of transportation safety-point-of-view,” said Vice Mayor Yung Koprowski, a transportation engineer. “It’s very important to me – road safety and people do not have acci-
dents that result in injuries and deaths. “So simply put easier access to an impairing drug such as marijuana will almost certainly result in a higher number of those accidents.” Koprowski said although studies contradict each other on the long-term impact of recreational marijuana use, they almost always show a short-term increase in the damage of property and loss of life in study areas where weed consumption for enjoyment is legal. “I believe it will be detrimental to our town and will be voting in order to prevent its passage and therefore I will be supporting this ordinance tonight,” Koprowski said. The town received 78 comment cards that
Gilbert to resume late utility fees, disconnects
were overwhelmingly from residents opposing the ordinance and three in support. Arizona voters approved medical marijuana use in 2010 but rejected recreational use of the drug in 2016. Today, there are 14 states where it is legal for adults to use marijuana other than for health reasons. Councilwoman Kathy Tilque said she was on the stakeholder group that developed a good ordinance regulating medical marijuana in town and the latest proposal builds upon that. Under the Smart and Safe Arizona Act, municipalities can prohibit marijuana establishments and testing facilities in their
see TOWNWEED page 7
Lights, camera, etc.
BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
SPORTS...................... 28 Gilbert brothers excel on and off the gridiron.
COMMUNITY.......................................20 BUSINESS.............................................23
PUZZLE....................................... 27 SPORTS.......................................28 CLASSIFIED..........................................32
W
ith the local economy on the mend, Gilbert will resume late fees in November for delinquent water customers and cutting service in January. The town stopped doing both actions earlier this year to help residents experiencing financial hardship during the economic impact of the pandemic. “We have not disconnected residents or any of the accounts since March,” Kelly Pfost, budget and management director, told Town Council last week. “We have about 1,500 eligible right now. We are definitely trying to get help to those people in this situation.” Town utility employees have been visiting residences and making contact with delinquent customers and providing them with information where they can get help with their wa-
see UTILITY page 5
Filmmaker Thomas Bonifield of Gilbert, left, and photography director Josh Maas discuss a scene as they prepare to shoot on location in Michigan a Christian Christmas movie he’s debuting next month. For details, see page 20. (Courtesy of Thomas Bonifield)