LAKE PLACID — The village board of trustees final week handed two resolutions to position the village’s hashish legal guidelines on a particular election poll. The election will happen on March 15, and these hashish legal guidelines would be the solely factor on the poll.
Leisure marijuana was legalized statewide final March, and native governments had till Dec. 31, 2021 to go native legal guidelines opting out of permitting dispensaries and/or on-site consumption licensing inside their boundaries. Thirty-four p.c of the state’s municipalities opted out of all hashish gross sales final yr, in accordance with information from the state Workplace of Hashish Administration. The village board unanimously voted final December to choose out with the intention of inserting its hashish legal guidelines on the poll to offer voting village residents the ultimate say.
“The voters will inform us what they need,” village Mayor Artwork Devlin stated final week.
Village governments, in contrast to city governments, had the power to choose out after which go a decision to position their hashish legal guidelines on a poll, which is the method the village board determined to start final yr.
Village Clerk Anita Estling stated Tuesday that folks with pandemic-related considerations, together with individuals who will probably be out of city for the election and individuals who have a incapacity, will be capable to request absentee ballots for the election. Anybody who desires to use for an absentee poll ought to e mail their request to Estling at [email protected].
The North Elba City Corridor reopened its doorways this week, and Estling stated that barring any future COVID-19 spikes in Lake Placid, city corridor needs to be open for voting from midday to 9 p.m. on Election Day, March 15.
Village legal professional Janet Bliss beneficial final week that the village make a pattern poll accessible to residents who plan on voting within the particular election. Estling stated she expects the pattern poll to be accessible by early February. The village plans to launch the pattern poll on the village Fb web page and web site.
Because the two adopted native legal guidelines are opting out of hashish dispensaries and on-site consumption licensing, anybody who desires to vote in favor of opting again in to both choice would vote towards the adopted legal guidelines. A “no” vote to both regulation would translate to a “sure” to opting in. A “sure” vote to both regulation can be a vote to remain opted out. If the native legal guidelines are upheld, the village board may nonetheless vote to choose in to both choice sooner or later.
The poll was initially anticipated to incorporate each the hashish legal guidelines and one seat on the board of trustees, since trustee Jason Leon was elected to the North Elba City Council this previous November. Now, Leon plans to serve on the North Elba council whereas remaining on the village board, so his seat gained’t be on the poll. He stated that to keep away from conflicts of curiosity, he’ll bow out from the village board when it begins funds discussions.
