By WILL KANGAS
November 27, 2011
MASON -- The Nov. 21 Mason City Council meeting included talk about the medical marijuana act, compensation for meetings and live broadcasts of meetings online.
The last few city council and planning commission meetings were actually test runs for the city's latest accomplishment: Online broadcast.
Future city council meetings will be broadcast live on the Internet and archived at the city's web site for people to view.
"This is something that we believe provides a great service to the community," Mason City Administrator Martin Colburn said.
Equipment was tested at the council's Nov. 21 meeting. The city's plan calls for other committees and commissions to be included in Internet broadcasts the future.
The meetings are also broadcast on a local cable channel on Broadstripe.
Colburn said the new method is another way city residents can access their government for information and provides another level of transparency.
Medical marijuana
The city council and planning commission also discussed the state of medical marijuana legislation in a special workshop.
The city has continued a moratorium on allowing dispensaries to operate in city limits.
"We don't have anyone knocking on our door wanting to set up shop here yet," Colburn said.
Although no action was taken, a letter from the U.S. Department of Justice makes it clear that it is against states like Michigan making its own laws legalizing medical marijuana.
In 2008 Michigan voters approved the use of medical marijuana.
Legislatures have been wrangling with the new law ever since, especially for regulating dispensary businesses.
Mason leaders have been discussing it as well since last year but the moratorium continues.
The planning commission is charged with developing a city ordinance to regulate the issue.
The city council also approved a freeze on the amount of money council members receive to attend meetings.
The amount, $50 for council members and $60 for the mayor, has been the same since a raise in 1991.
The council approved a resolution to continue the same rate for another two years.
The city council and planning commission also discussed the state of medical marijuana legislation in a special workshop.
The city has continued a moratorium on allowing dispensaries to operate in city limits.
"We don't have anyone knocking on our door wanting to set up shop here yet," Colburn said.
Although no action was taken, a letter from the U.S. Department of Justice makes it clear that it is against states like Michigan making its own laws legalizing medical marijuana.
In 2008 Michigan voters approved the use of medical marijuana.
Legislatures have been wrangling with the new law ever since, especially for regulating dispensary businesses.
Mason leaders have been discussing it as well since last year but the moratorium continues.
The planning commission is charged with developing a city ordinance to regulate the issue.
The city council also approved a freeze on the amount of money council members receive to attend meetings.
The amount, $50 for council members and $60 for the mayor, has been the same since a raise in 1991.
The council approved a resolution to continue the same rate for another two years.
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