At Monday evening’s Eureka Springs city council meeting, Mayor Butch Berry introduced Marvin Park and Ronnie Rateliff of Ozark Organic Dispensary, Inc., who acquainted council with their plans for opening a medical marijuana dispensary in Eureka Springs if they get a license. Rateliff said they had put together a talented team including people from law enforcement and medicine, and their company is ready to operate both a dispensary and cultivation center.
Park said they found an ideal spot for the dispensary in Eureka Springs, and they intend to offer well-paying employment, with benefits, for 9 to 14 people. He expected it might take three years to build up to 1000 active customers, and figured an annual revenue base of $4 million in Carroll County.
Park explained their site for a cultivation center was not in Eureka Springs because an investor with property elsewhere came to them. He estimated to create a grow space in Eureka Springs would take nine months before seeing any return, so they chose the ready-made space, although he did not say where the property is.
On May 22, a group of local doctors, growers, herbalists and others presented their vision of enacting the new law allowing for medical marijuana in Arkansas. Thirty two dispensary and five cultivation licenses will be issued in the state.
Later in the meeting, council approved Resolution 711, “This Council wished to express its support for the establishment of one or more facilities to dispense Marijuana for medical use within the Corporate City Limits of Eureka Springs, Arkansas.” The vote to approve was 6-0.
New meeting spaces considered
Berry said he had met with representatives of the Community Center Foundation board about exclusive use of space in B-200 for $1000 per month, but there would still be remodeling to account for. The space could be used for all city meetings. Council had already toured a space in B-300, and Berry said the cost that space was now only $750 per month but with non-exclusive use.
He also mentioned he and McClung had explored a building the city already owns across from the hospital. Berry said the building is already ADA-accessible but would need serious remodeling, even demolition in parts. The end result would be a room big enough for 30 or so to attend all city meetings upstairs with a basement space for offices or storage.
Kendrick mentioned another available space was a section of the former Amish Collective building on US 62. The cost would be approximately $850 per month but with exclusive use of the space. It would need only minimal modifications.
Ex parte explicated
Alderman Mickey Schneider asked City Attorney Tim Weaver to explain again to council what was required of them by the legal term “ex parte. Weaver reminded them all aldermen and commissioners are not to discuss issues they would be voting on outside of meetings or in locations where the press was not present or had not been notified to be present. He cautioned aldermen and commissioners against whispers, sign language, smoke signals or conducting any communication about issues they would vote on outside of a meeting. He said there could be large fines connected with violation of ex parte.
Weaver said email chains in which members of the press are included do not necessarily avoid a violation.
Olio items
- Council approved drafting a resolution to stand beside the Paris Climate Accords as many other cities have done. The vote to approve was 5-1, McClung voting No.
- Aldermen unanimously approved reseating Ann Tandy-Sallee to the Planning Commission and John House to the Hospital Commission.
- In Public Comments, Bed & Breakfast owner Bob Jasinski urged the city not to continue revising City Code but instead revert to the versions created years ago by people who knew what they were doing. He said the current Planning Commission lacks legal guidance, and, because of their decisions, people operating illegally are benefiting.
Next meeting will be Monday, June 26, at 6 p.m.