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Seward council directs staff to draft local marijuana licensing limits
Summary
Council voted to direct administration to draft a Title 8 ordinance to limit the number of marijuana licenses (council majority favored a cap of two for initial drafting) and to return the proposal for introduction and public hearing.
The Seward City Council on Feb. 9 voted to instruct administration to prepare a draft ordinance amending Title 8 to limit the number of marijuana licenses available within city limits and to bring that draft back for introduction and subsequent public hearing.
Council Member Calhoun proposed capping all marijuana licenses at two, arguing population-based thresholds fluctuate for a town this size; Council Member Warner urged consideration of a three-license cap to allow aggregated tax reporting while protecting individual taxpayer confidentiality. Warner cited Longmont, Colo., code language that prevents a single person from owning multiple licenses as a way to prevent one operator from occupying all local licenses.
The council majority voted to direct staff to prepare a draft with the discussed parameters and return it for introduction (anticipated in March), giving the public an opportunity to comment at the enactment hearing. Administration noted that any ordinance returned for introduction could be amended during the formal process and that AMCO (state licensing) offers email notification sign-up for regulatory changes.
No final license limit was enacted tonight; the council’s vote was to ask staff to develop an ordinance for council consideration and public hearing. Council members emphasized that such an ordinance would still be subject to amendment and public input before any cap would become law.
