FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2015
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 11
Local
City Council: dispensaries
Continued from Page 1
Although both recreation-
al and medical marijuana
use is legal in Oregon, it
has not been legalized at
the Federal level however;
according to Rod Shaw of
Oregon Green Free, in De-
cember 2014 the Federal
Government did decrimi-
nalize medical marijuana.
It was concluded when
it comes to medical mari-
juana issues the Federal
Government would defer
to the states. “So in other
words, as long as someone
is obeying the state laws
then the Federal Govern-
ment won’t get involved,”
said Shaw.
As the meeting with all
councilors present com-
menced, City Manager
Mike Kee addressed Coun-
cil on the revamping of the
city ordinance regarding
business licenses.
He advised that there
was wording in the unre-
vised ordinance that he felt
was good and did not feel
needed to be changed such
as defi ning a business.
“Our current business
license isn’t much, and I
really think it has to do
more with special business
licenses, but I took that
made some changes and
emailed that to council,”
he said.
Kee also addressed
the Transient Merchant
License regarding people
who instead of conducting
business from a permanent
location are mobile, for ex-
ample a food cart, and the
currently nonfunctioning
Historic District Business
Licenses.
With the new license
there is a suggestion of
either very low or no cost.
The suggestion is that the
form be on the internet and
very easy to complete.
“A business license can
be as simple as defi ning
what a business is and stat-
ing that if you do business
in Baker City you have to
have a license and in order
to have a license and do
business in Baker City you
have to comply with the
law,” Kee said.
As the discussion turned
to the council, fi rst to
speak was Councilman
Thomas. He said, “After
reading through this and
talking with a lot of peo-
ple, who reminded me that
I fi ght for various things
that I consider freedom, I
think a business license is
a great idea. I’m a little bit
hesitant with Federal Law
statement, knowing what
those in Washington do.
I’m hesitant that we will
have them suddenly decide
something else is illegal
and on the marijuana is-
sue itself, I’m beginning
to wonder if just having
the ability to regulate and
know who buys, that might
actually be a better thing
than the hundreds of un-
known sellers of a product
that has not been tested,
hasn’t been regulated. We
don’t know if it has been
sprayed with anything, if
anything has been added.
But I do think on the issue
of city licenses of busi-
nesses, I’m very much in
favor of it but like I said
I’m hesitant to throw in
that Federal Part.”
Councilor Downing
also weighed in saying,
“The folks I’ve talked to
about the business license
they seem fi ne with it as
long as were not going to
use it now or down the
road as a revenue source.
A couple businesses were
concerned about how
often they would have to
apply, every year every
fi ve years, if they are a
well-established business
that has been here 20 or
more years, maybe every
10 years. But it seemed
everyone I talked to, they
liked the idea of a business
license as long as it doesn’t
become a revenue source.”
Kee responded. “My
vision was a yearly license
only because the informa-
tion that we collect has to
do with address, emergen-
cy information, people as-
sociated with the business.
That is the only reason that
I had envisioned a yearly
license. Other than that I
see no need to have a busi-
ness license that expires.”
Mayor Mosier pointed
out that in a meeting
several months prior Debi
Bainter, Executive Direc-
tor of the Baker County
Chamber of Commerce
thought having current
information on businesses
would be a great way to
market our City.
“As far as what future
Councils will choose to do
regarding business licenses
and fees I don’t know.
All we can do is what’s in
front of us,” said Mosier.
Holly Kerns from the
Planning Department ad-
dressed the council regard-
ing special permits issued
by cities that can limit land
use and place restrictions
on businesses issued these
permits such as the time,
place and manner in which
business is conducted.
Mosier was interested
in learning more about
the land use permits and
suggested council consider
this alternative as well.
City attorney Brent
Smith advised that he had
drawn up a plan before the
last City Council meeting
addressing this very thing
but maybe did not express
it well to the council.
County Commissioner
Bill Harvey also addressed
the council stating that
businesses within the
county, outside city limits,
were required to have spe-
cial use permits and as far
as anyone wanting to have
a dispensary.
“We simply aren’t go-
ing to allow it,” he stated
fi rmly.
Again, citizens spoke
both for and against allow-
ing dispensaries.
Testimony was given by
Joni Miner who said, “I
wasn’t one to really use
marijuana. Occasionally,
just to fi t in. Until the day
that my life went down the
tubes. I was on OxyContin
and other narcotics for
10 years. I started on 10
milligrams and by the end
of 8 years I was up to 480
milligrams because there
is no turning back once
they put you on it, you just
die eventually. I stopped
breathing 15 times every
hour. I didn’t know what
was happening to me.
“I was not taken care
of by the system, I was
forgotten. Take your pill
and be forgotten. Then
someone offered me medi-
cal marijuana, and even
under the infl uence of all
those narcotics, I felt bet-
ter. It pulled me out of the
stupor. At fi rst I was scared
to ask my doctor, I thought
it would make me a bad
person. I was raised in the
DARE program to stay
off drugs. Guess where I
ended up? Under the care
of doctors and on drugs.
The medical marijuana
helped me get off of those
drugs. Everybody can go
home and drink their wine
at night. People have liquor
cabinets that their children
see every day. Anything
can be abused including
sugar, alcohol, food.
“Marijuana is not a
drug otherwise it would
be regulated and in the
pharmacy; it’s an herb. It’s
natural and has been on the
planet forever. Times are
changing it’s a new scared
straight program and you
know what? I’ve been
scared straight by the FDA
who regulated the drug that
almost killed me.”
Scott Knox also ad-
dressed the council on the
other side. “The question
has been raised here: Why
not? We can cite a lot of
statistics but let me give
you one number, One. One
child, your child, your
grandchild do you want
them exposed to mari-
juana?
“You’ve heard from a lot
of people, but you haven’t
heard from a single child.
They can’t drive or move
away they are stuck here
and they are dependent
upon you to protect them.
Are you afraid or are you
courageous? Even if it
costs a little money, time
or even a lawsuit are you
willing to look that one
child in the eye, years from
now and say ‘ it was too
tough, it was too hard I
didn’t want to risk it.’ I’ve
not heard one person in
favor of this actually speak
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up for children. Stand up,
speak up for them. Their
voice is not being heard.”
With that Mayor Mosier
stated, “I think for the next
council session we’ll need
to talk about a cleaned up
version of the business
license, maybe vote on it.
And I’d also like to see a
development moratorium
and what the time lines ac-
tually are and how far out
that would put us. What
that would look like. Start
talking with a planner.”
Councilman Merrill
stated, “I would personally
like to see the shorter ver-
sion of the business license
completed and prepared for
consideration and potential
vote.”
Mayor Mosier, before
closing the meeting, re-
minded everyone that com-
ments made became part of
the public record.
Then the meeting was
adjourned.
Protest.
Monday and Tuesday,
before the City Council
meeting a peaceful protest
was held in front of City
Hall in favor of medical
marijuana dispensaries.
In an interview, protest
organizer, Rodney Shaw
an advocate with Oregon
Green Free, said that his
reason for becoming an
advocate of this issue is
that he genuinely wants to
see those that truly need
medicine have access
to a product that is free
from pesticides, mold and
mildew.
He said, “A lot of people
have the misconception
that we are just a bunch of
stoners, it’s not like that
at all. We literally use our
marijuana for medicine.
We have a lot of cases
where people have gotten
off of OxyContin or other
narcotics and used medical
marijuana instead for pain
management.”
Shaw said, “One of our
biggest arguments for the
dispensaries is about the
people that have gotten
away from OxyContin
and other narcotics. Now
those are not sitting in their
medicine cabinets where
maybe a grandchild gets
a hold of it. The medi-
cal community takes its
medicine very seriously.
If they have youth around
most of them will lock it
up in some way to ensure
the safety.
“We have been pre-
scribed this by a physi-
cian, not a PA not a Nurse
Practitioner but a medical
doctor. Why put so much
effort on trying to derail us
from our right to have safe
tested product free from
pesticides and mold or
mildew, medicine as pre-
scribed by our physician.
Having a dispensary opens
the door for that product to
be tested.
“When a patient doesn’t
have a grower they can’t
get medicine or are forced
to turn to the black market,
If forced to go to the black
market we don’t know if
that’s being supplied by
drug cartels in Mexico, we
don’t know if pesticides
were used on it, we don’t
know how it was taken
care of.”
Oregon Green Free
meets monthly and offers
raffl e items such as para-
phernalia at its meetings
so no one under 18 is
allowed. “We also serve a
meal to our people because
we don’t know, it might
be the only hot meal they
have for the day … After
the meeting we congregate
at my house and we give
away medicine.”
Oath Keepers:
INLAND CAFE OWNER OFFERS
MEMBERS SUPPLIES AT COST
PTSD SERVICES SPOTLIGHTED
COUNTY PREPAREDNESS FAIR
SET FOR MAY 16
By Todd Arriola
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Around 30 people met in the Council Chambers of City
Hall on Tuesday evening for the monthly Baker County
Chapter of Oath Keepers meeting.
In attendance were Kody Justus, Chapter Coordinator,
Jim Iler and Jake Brown, Chapter Assistant Coordinators,
Bob Nelson, Chapter Neighborhood Watch, and Rose-
mary Dayhoff, Chapter Administrator.
Also in attendance were Bill Harvey, Baker County
Commission Chair, Jason Yencopal, Baker County Emer-
gency Manager, Chuck Chase, Eastern Oregon Mining
Association (EOMA) Executive Director, Kristi Hensley,
owner of the Inland Café, Kevin Dyke of Northeast Or-
egon Compassion Center, Dean Spence, and Keith Jones
with GOP Chair Suzan Jones, among several others.
Justus welcomed the group to the meeting, which began
at 6 p.m., and then handed the fl oor over to Harvey, who
recited the Invocation. Immediately afterward, Justus
led the group with the Pledge of Allegiance, while Iler
displayed non-fringed colors.
Justus said, “We asked Jason (Yencopal) to come give
us an update on emergency preparedness.”
Yencopal said, “Mainly, for the Preparedness Fair, we
have a date set. It’s May 16.”
He said it will be a day-long event, and there will be
presentations about building emergency kits, and ven-
dors will also be present. The theme for the event will be
“Making A Plan, Building A Kit,” Yencopal said.
He also mentioned kit building presentations which will
be specifi cally tailored for students in the 3rd to 5th grade
range. Iler asked Yencopal where the event will be held,
and Yencopal responded that he hasn’t determined that
yet.
Justus introduced Harvey, who discussed the Memo-
randum of Understanding (MOU) between Baker County
and the United States Forest Service (USFS) about roles
according to the Blue Mountain Forest Plan, which Baker
County Commissioners declined to sign earlier this
month.
He said, “We have an ordinance in place in Baker
County that states that we will do coordination. Coor-
dination means that you’re on equal footing—federal
government, county government—and you work on a
plan, which is already in place, the Baker County Natural
Resources Plan. So, we have a plan.” He said the MOU
would give the USFS absolute authority as currently writ-
ten, and that wouldn’t work for Baker County, because
the County would be in a “cooperative” role.
He spoke about the needs of Baker County, saying that
at the top of the list is jobs, and proper forest manage-
ment and access could provide many of those.
Brown said, “We’re all behind you, and we appreciate
you taking action.”
Justus commented that, “The agencies keep trying to
interchange the words collaboration, cooperation, and
coordination,” and gave some scenarios concerning those
terms. He explained that the County needs more control
of its natural resources.
Brown and Iler discussed briefl y the absence of
nationally-known Oath Keeper Leo Castillo, who was un-
able to attend the meeting, and mentioned his radio show,
“World Gone Crazy,” which airs on Sunday nights at 9
p.m. on KLBM AM 1450.
Iler introduced Kevin Dyke, an Oath Keepers supporter
whose fi rst words were, “How much does anybody know
about PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome)?” He
discussed the different types of PTSD, caused by experi-
ences in military combat, and high stress situations, not
strictly because of combat, like nursing or fi refi ghting, to
name a couple.
Dyke said there’s a new program hosted by the Com-
passion Center, at 6 p.m. on Thursdays, called the “Safe
Zone,” where veterans can discuss their experiences with
others, and he emphasized that the discussions would be
confi dential. Initially, the meetings would be with veter-
ans, but would most likely include others later on.
Iler talked briefl y about the Oath Keepers logo and
gear, stating that Elkhorn Embroidery and Oregon Sign
Company are able to provide products and services incor-
porating the Oath Keepers logo at better prices than the
Oath Keepers’ national store.
Iler introduced Kristi Hensley, owner of the Inland
Café, who said, “I want to offer our services. I have a lot
of sources, as far as bulk food and cleaning supplies.”
She said she would offer use of her company account,
and she orders from several suppliers, so she can choose
which one(s) have the best available prices.
Brown introduced Dayhoff, who gave a presentation
about building a 72-hour survival pack, displaying her
own backpack she fi lled with emergency items for this
purpose. Included in the pack were items like water,
medications, fi re starters (like dryer lint), battery-powered
lights, line (rope), cutting tools, a compass, a medical kit,
and a blanket.
Justus said he has a fundraiser idea, which is to sell
100-round boxes of .22 caliber ammunition, for $12, with
$3.50 from each one benefi ting the Chapter.
The monthly Chapter meetings are held on the third
Tuesday of the month, at 6 p.m., in the Council Chambers
of Baker City Hall.