Medical marijuana, annual updates and lots of leases: Beaverton City Council to meet Tuesday

Along with a work session regarding the city’s medical marijuana moratorium, the Beaverton City Council is set to vote on extending city leases and hear updates on the Oregon Legislature, Beaverton library system and local fire district.

Councilors will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 1, in City Hall on Griffith Drive.

Medical marijuana

Councilors will review their February decision to prohibit dispensaries from legally operating in Beaverton for at least six months. The Tuesday work session follows changes in state law that specify the authority of Oregon cities to place up to a one-year ban on medical marijuana dispensaries.

A new city ordinance could formalize a moratorium before the state’s May 1 deadline for doing so. Councilors will determine how long that moratorium would be.

No formal action will be taken during the work session, though councilors will offer direction to city staff on whether and how to move forward with the proposed moratorium.

Updates

Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue Chief Michael Duyck will deliver his annual State of the District Address before the Beaverton City Council during Tuesday’s meeting. TVF&R provides emergency fire and medical services throughout Beaverton along with neighboring cities and surrounding unincorporated Washington County.

Also on Tuesday, Gwen Baldwin of Baldwin Consulting, LLC, will update Beaverton city councilors on the Oregon Legislative session that wrapped up in March. Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, D-Beaverton, and Rep. Tobias Read, D-Beaverton, will also share their insight on the legislative session with councilors.

Beaverton Library Director Abigail Elder and Library Advisory Board Chair Ellen Brash Russell will also present the latest information on library services and programming.

Leases

As part of the council’s consent agenda, councilors will vote on whether or not to extend several lease agreements.

LifeWorks Northwest, a nonprofit that provides mental health and addiction counseling services, has leased space at 12350 SW 5th St. for about five years. The organization pays the city $1 per year for about 4,600 square feet. If councilors approve the lease, it will be extended another year, until June 29, 2015, according to city documents.

Housing Independence, Inc., is another nonprofit that leases space from the city for $1 each year. The organization specializes in affordable housing and education for low-income families or individuals with special needs. The nonprofit leases 1,218 square feet at 6160 SW Main Ave. from the city, and has since 2010. The council will vote on whether or not to extend the lease – like the LifeWork Northwest agreement – until June 29, 2015, according to city documents.

Councilors are also looking at properties that the city leases for police and public works storage.

The city has leased warehouse space for evidence storage at 9785 SW Harvest Ct. since 2003. The council will vote on whether to extend the evidence warehouse agreement for at least one year with automatic renewals up to three years total, ending June 29, 2017. The cost is about $7,500 a month, which totals more than $90,000 per year. The city is currently seeking voter approval of a $35 million bond to build a new public safety facility that would move the police department under one roof.

The city also leases space to store some public works vehicles and equipment at 10025 SW Allen Blvd. The council could choose to extend that agreement, which would cost the city about $1,100 per month, for at least one year and up to three, until November 30, 2016.

Also on the agenda:

• Councilors will vote on whether to approve more than $59,000 to buy and $7,000 to install in-car cameras on police vehicles.
  


• The council will open a public hearing regarding an ordinance that would change city code related to the council’s role in approving public contracts, such as purchases of city equipment or agreements for services like consulting. City staff has proposed a change in code that would eliminate a list of contract review duties and instead defer to state statute on local contract review boards. The state provides that local governments, in this case the city council, can serve as the local contract review board. After the public hearing, the council will hear the first reading of the ordinance.


• Councilors will vote on whether to recommend liquor licenses for La Provence and Apna Chat Bhavan.

–Kari Bray

Source

Medical marijuana, annual updates and lots of leases: Beaverton City Council to meet Tuesday