Items for 2010 ballot

When I return to Long Beach (from far away San Diego), I will put the finishing touches on two agenda items that I would like see placed before the voters in 2010:

1. Changing our city elections from the April and June cycle to a June and November cycle. Voters are expressing fatigue at the frequency of elections. Long Beach holds elections every two years at April and June and the State holds elections every two years at June and November. What's wrong with this picture? It is costly for the City. Voters are tired of multiple elections. Voter turnout in April is low and favors incumbents. Making this change would certainly address these problems.

2. Increasing the per barrel tax on crude oil to 60 cents a barrel and to use the proceeds to get more police and fire on the streets. This increase to 60 cents a barrel would bring Long Beach in line with the City of Signal Hill which has been assessing 60 cents a barrel for several years. Additionally, Signal Hill uses a more appropriate inflation factor for crude oil -- the PPI -- or Petroleum Price Index. Long Beach uses the CPI -- Consumer Price Index -- which does not reflect the increases in crude oil. So we need to change the inflator.

As you might remember, I am also trying to get a charter amendment before the voters next April that would open up the bargaining process between the city and employee unions by requiring the sunshining of the proposals so the public can provide input and see what is being done.

Liberty Station -- San Diego does it right!

The California Medical Board is meeting here in San Diego. (Next year the Board which regulates physicians will meet in Long Beach for the first time!!)

The meeting is at Liberty Station -- San Diego's newest destination featuring a mix of arts and culture, sports, education, retail, restaurants, business and residential. It is referred to as a "Urban Village."

The hotel is located along the water front in the heart of Liberty Station. The village was created from the re-development of the historic Naval Training Center. It provides a gathering place for families, artisans, businesses and community cultural groups. The park features 2 balls fields, two large picnic area, a sports plaza, 4 half court basketball courts, a historical area at Preble field, a natural habitat zone, a multipurpose field, a nine acre esplanade for bicycling and walking and 3 restroom facilities. All brand new!

Visitors can enjoy the USS Recruit which is a full size ship built directly into the ground. It was built in 1949 specifically to train navy recruits with live simulation. There is a 9 hole golf course. The 125 acre waterfront provides water sports and biking paths. (LB Naval Stations de ja vu???)

It is quite impressive.

Just sent my thoughts on a marijuana ordinance to City Attorney

I am down in San Diego attending a quarterly meeting of the California Medical Board on which I serve. Taking a break and just sent a list of items I would like included in any ordinance regulating marijuana collectives/cooperatives. Because Long Beach -- and most other cities in California never regulated these businesses, they are taking advantage of a loop-hole in the law.

I would prefer that we don't have any in Long Beach (yes, as a health care professional I know people swear by the wonders of marijuana).

This is an illegal substance that is totally unregulated in terms of its quality. We don't even know what has been sprayed on the product. We don't know the strength of the product is. For god sakes, we don't let people sell hot dogs at a baseball game unless they follow Health Department regulations.

My constituents are angry as they watch one after another of these facilities open on the eastside. They find it incredible that the city gets no notice when these shops open or that we don't regulate them at all.

So while I'd rather Long Beach didn't have them at all -- I don't know that we have the votes on the Council to make that happen. So I am submitting a number of items that should provide public protection:


Marijuana Collectives/cooperatives ordinance provisions (among others being suggested by City Attorney and City Prosecutor, I would add:)

1. City council shall authorize no more than 3 collectives/cooperatives – no closer than 5 miles from each other.
2. 65% or more of residents within 2,000 feet of proposed facilities must approve the facility being located there.
3. Must not be located less than 1,000 feet from residential zone; pre-school, child care facility, k-12 school; public library; park or playground where children are present
4. Police dept shall conduct criminal background checks on owner and all employees.
5. Employees must be 21 years of age or older.
6. Physicians may not be employed and/or compensated by collective/cooperative. On site medical exams to qualify a person for referral for medical marijuana shall not be permitted.
7. Allowable square footage of facility shall be established by City Council.
8. Registered members must show state issued cards
9. The number of registered members must be reported semi-annually to Police Dept.
10. Security shall be provided constituent with a plan approved by Police Dept. Guards may carry guns.
11. Facility must be fully compliant with requirements of Americans with Disabilities Act – including door widths, counter heights, parking lots, signage for blind, etc.
12. Edible products are subject to Health Department regulations.
13. There shall be no sales of delivery devices – pipes, papers, etc.
14. Trash disposed of by facility shall be considered medical waste and disposed of accordingly after permits are obtained. The discovery of cannabis or any product or delivery device containing any cannabis in the regular trash by the Police shall result in closure of the facility.
15. Cultivation is restricted to industrial zones. Site must have proper permits for disposal of water and any run off from the cultivation. Health Dept shall inspect and provide permits regarding ventilation, water, etc.
16. The number of plants cultivated shall be reported semi-annually to the Police Dept.
17. Daily transactions of cannabis by collective shall not exceed 1 oz. Reports of all transactions shall be made to the Police Dept on semi-annual basis.
18. Signage at collectives: there shall be external and internal signage in not less than 14 point type with following: Notice: The California Compassionate Use Act and the Medical Marijuana Program Act requires that only registered members of this collective/cooperative shall obtain cannabis for medical purposes. Registered members must have a verified physician referral and a state issued card. No cannabis may be used or consumed on premises or within 2,000 feet of any residence, child care, school, library, playground or park.
20. The name of the business shall only state that it is a medical marijuana collective or cooperative. No artwork or photographs will be displayed.
21. These facilities are not medical clinics and therefore no patient-doctor relationship exists.
22. Because these facilities are operated by non-profit organizations they cannot be taxed.
23. Transportation of cannabis, cannabis products and/or cannabis delivery products (papers, pipes, etc) by a collective/cooperative to a registered member’s residence is illegal.

Got Pot? Long Beach Does.

I am receiving emails from constituents who are concerned they are noticing more and more medical marijuana collectives popping up like weeds...excuse the puns...in eastside Long Beach.

Unfortunately, the City of Long Beach never did anything to stop them from opening. Now that there are so many of them...and growing...the City Council Committee on Economic Development and Finance is grappling with what to do...what to do.

The Brown Act prevents a city council member who is not a member of a committee from testifying at the committee meeting. I am not a member of this Council Committee, so I will not be able to make comments there. However...

So I encourage anyone interested in this issue to attend the Monday, October 26 meeting at City Hall Chambers, 333 W. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, 5:30 pm and let the three member committee know what you think. This committee will make recommendations to the full City Council.

I am posting a copy of the California Attorney General's Guidelines on Medical Marijuana that outlines what we can and cannot do.