While the Woodland City Council recently extinguished an ordinance permitting commercial marijuana establishments in certain areas, some city officials have suggested the weedy proposal could rise from the ashes again.
After repeated discussions about the matter, earlier in January, the Woodland City Council opposed an ordinance that would have permitted retail cannabis shops to open in the city’s light industrial district. Currently, Woodland does not allow for retail cannabis in any of its zones. One suggestion was brought up repeatedly in council conversation, however: letting voters decide.
Travis Goddard, Woodland’s community development director, said that there have been discussions among the city council about potentially holding a public vote on the matter.
“There’s a question as to whether or not they want to add it to the next election cycle and pay to have it on the ballot as essentially an advisory vote,” Woodland Community Development Director Travis Goddard said. “The council is considering that so that the public can weigh in. It seems to be a hot topic in the community.”
Goddard said that, depending on how the council wanted to pursue the idea, putting a retail marijuana measure on a future ballot could be cost prohibitive, or at least expensive, for the city.
“If it’s the only item on the ballot, then the city would have to pay the entire cost for the election,” Goddard said. “But say, if they were to go at the same time as a school levy, then they might only have to pay half the cost, and the school district might pay the other half.”
Presuming the matter of cost could be decided upon, Woodland Mayor Todd Dinehart considers putting the matter out for a public vote as a good alternative for the city. Expense, however, is the biggest drawback, he added.
“It’s been discussed, but the cost has been prohibitive for moving forward,” Dinehart said.
Having worked with the Cowlitz County Elections Office before, the mayor estimated that the ballot measure could cost the city upwards of $70,000.
“You would have the voters pamphlet. You would have the ballots. You would have the returned postage. You have rental cars and gas and labor for individuals that work within the elections office, where you’re paying for them almost ultimately for 30 days,” Dinehart said. “It’s cheaper if you do it in a combination of another election.”
He does believe asking voters to decide is the most accurate way to determine residents’ feelings on cannabis sales in the city.
“It’s just one of those things where people continue to ask me, ‘Hey, what’s your view on retail marijuana sales,’ and that’s why my view is that it should be taken to a vote,” Dinehart said. “I look at it as rather than relying on seven individuals, I think that you should have your whole community get to say.”
So far, the Woodland City Council has yet to reignite a conversation about the future of retail cannabis in the city.
