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Public comment features dispute over parks-board removal and pleas to treat medical cannabis as health care
Summary
An attorney representing Commissioner North told the commission that a move to remove the commissioner from the parks board lacks legal authority and may violate open‑meeting law; a separate speaker urged commissioners to support medical cannabis as a health‑care measure rather than a criminal matter.
During the public‑comment portion, Thomas Green, an attorney who said he has been retained to represent Commissioner North on a related matter, urged the board to abandon efforts to remove Commissioner North from the county parks board. Green said the alleged coordinated removal lacked legal basis and could violate open‑meeting laws; he provided emails and a transcript excerpt and told commissioners he would pursue the matter if it proceeded.
Green said he found no legal authority for removal without cause and argued that the series of resignations and statements created an appearance of coordination. He urged the commission to "drop this and don't raise it again," and said he would take legal steps if the matter continued.
Later in public comment, Ryan Perry, who identified himself as a resident and medical cannabis cardholder, urged the commission to treat medical cannabis as a health‑care access issue and asked commissioners to support policies or resolutions that would reduce criminal penalties. Perry recounted personal harm he attributed to cannabis prosecution and framed policy change as a matter of reducing incarceration costs and protecting veterans and patients.
Commissioners responded that state law governs criminalization and encouraged speakers to take legislative routes while acknowledging the local visibility of the issues raised.
