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Next medical marijuana meeting set

Havre City Council President Andrew Brekke said at Monday's council meeting that another Ordinance Committee meeting has been scheduled Nov. 15 for 7 p.m Wednesday, at City Hall to discuss whether the city should ban medical marijuana storefront dispensaries.

The meeting is the fourth the committee has held on the issue since August.

Brekke said more than 90 people showed up to the last meeting Oct. 17. He said that since then he has heard from more members of the public about the issue.

City governments throughout Montana have moved to either ban or regulate the dispensaries through zoning since voters approved a law that allows for the sale, production and use of marijuana for licensed cardholders.

Billings, Glasgow, Great Falls, Helena and Malta are among the cities that have banned dispensaries. Bozeman, Butte and Missoula regulate the dispensaries through zoning.

Two storefront dispensaries are in operation in Havre.

The council members present voted unanimously to ratify a labor union contract that gives a 2 percent raise to city Public Works department employees.

Council members Jay Pyette and Caleb Hutchins were not at the meeting.

Solomon said the city is still in negotiations with the International Association of Firefighters Havre chapter about their contract. The city and Havre Police Union will head into arbitration in February. All other city employees, both union and nonunion, Solomon said, will receive a two percent raise.

A request for the $72,907.66 drawdown of a Community Development Block Grant the city received for renovations to the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line was unanimously approved by the council.

Solomon said most of the money approved will go to repair the roof of the building.

The council also unanimously approved a request by the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce to close Third Avenue from First to Ninth streets Saturday, Nov. 25, for the Chamber's annual Santa Run.

The Christmas-themed race coincides with the annual Community Tree Lighting on Town Square.

A letter from Chamber Executive Director Jody Olson said registration begins at 4 p.m. outside Norman's Ranch & Sportswear. The race will start at 4:30 p.m.

Ahead of Havre's city elections, Lilletvedt said she wanted to thank Havre Public Works Director Dave Peterson for working with her to talk with people about a proposed mill levy increase to repair city streets. The proposed levy increase is on the ballot in today's city elections.

"Dave has spent a lot of time with me talking to people about the street mill levy and I appreciate his help," she said.

Lilletvedt, a strong supporter of the levy increase that would be used to redo city streets, and Peterson, spoke to several different groups about the proposed increase.

If approved, the levy increase would cost owners of a property with a taxable value of $100,000 an additional $89.50 a year and properties valued at $200,000 an extra $179.

The increase would generate an expected $15 million over 20 years or $750,000 annually to be used to repair city streets.

Voters have until 8 p.m to return their completed ballots to the Hill County Clerk and Recorder's Office in the Hill County Court House.

 

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