Olivette council places dispensary ban question on Nov. 5 ballot, cites $18,000 election cost

Olivette Mayor Waldman and the City Council on Aug. 13 voted to place a citizen petition asking voters to ban nonmedical microbusiness and comprehensive marijuana dispensaries on the Nov. 5, 2024 ballot.

The clerk read an email from petitioner Kate Pashawn Hellman and city resident Karina Foy urged the council in public comment to "please place that on the ballot" so Olivette residents can decide the issue. The council set aside its ordinary rules to allow a second reading and then approved final passage; the clerk recorded the ordinance number as 27-99.

Mayor Waldman explained the timing tied to state constitutional language and discussed the estimated cost to the city for running the election. "This $18,000 figure is the city's cost for putting this on the ballot," Waldman said, answering residents' questions about who would pay for the election.

Council members who were present voted in favor of the motion. The council's action follows a citizen petition, which the clerk said had required residents to collect signatures to meet the petition requirements.

The ordinance directs that the proposition appear to "submit to the qualified voters of the city of Olivette a proposition to ban nonmedical microbusiness and comprehensive marijuana dispensaries to be located within the city of Olivette." With the vote, the measure will be forwarded to the St. Louis County Board of Elections for inclusion on the Nov. 5 ballot and the city will incur the stated election expense.

Next steps: the city's second reading and administrative processing were completed the same evening; the measure will appear on the Nov. 5, 2024 ballot as approved by the council for placement. Any additional procedural filings required by the county elections office will proceed under normal election rules.