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Julie Kjorsvik From: JoAnne Duncan <joanneduncan440@yahoo.com> Sent: Friday, December 13, 2013 12:28 PM To: Kittitas County Commissioners Office Subject: No Marijuana in Kittitas County Dear County Commissioners, I have been researching what other counties are doing in regards to the passage of 1502. Many are banning or putting long term moratoriums on producing, growing and retail sales of marijuana. We keep hearing from you that as a county our hands are tied to what the State/Liquor Board wants us to do however I recently spoke with Anna Cox, a representative from the Washington State Liquor Board for Marijuana Licensing and she said that each county can do whatever they want. The quote in red is from the Seattlepi and backs up what the representative from the Liquor Board stated. There have also been cases which have been successful in implementing a full ban such as Redmond Ridge. Others have implemented strict zoning only allowing in Industrial areas and many implementing on going moratoriums The Washington State Liquor Control Board says it won't sue a city or county because it's not harmed by the ban. The board is going to issue licenses, and if a business that gets one is in a jurisdiction that has an effective ban in place, that's between the jurisdiction and the business. Also in regards to that comment some people putting in for licenses have listed an address that they do not own or have a lease agreement on. They would have to reapply for a license so I doubt they would turn around and sue the county. This is what I was told by the State Liquor Board http://blog.seattlepi.com/marijuana/2013/12/12/bans-moratoriums-and-zoning-approvals-for- marijuana-businesses-as-far-as-we-know/#18413103=35&18853101=1 http://www.mrse.org/subjects/le,gal/502/artdoc5O2.qux I am also wondering about the GMA and how an activity which needs razor wire fencing, 24 hour surveillance, lighting and emits a terrible odor (see links below from Colorado) fits in with the preservation of the rural character of Kittitas County. Agricultural products such as hay, corn, cattle, horses, haystacks, barns, and corrals fit in and even enhance the rural quality and nature of our valley. Products that require extreme security measures and emit horrible odors do not fit in our rural neighborhoods and devalue the property of farmers, ranchers and rural land owners. It states in the Sepa Checklist from the Washington State Liquor Board that these extreme measures are necessary because of the increased rate of home invasions and crime. Also stated in the Thomson Reuters Report, Washington Supreme Court requires Kittitas County to protect working farms, rural areas and water resources, "The GMA specifically provides that counties may implement innovative zoning techniques in rural areas. This is our opportunity to demonstrate and uphold our responsibility to protect the rural character and resources of farmers, ranchers, and rural land owners. I appreciate your time and effort in making the most responsible decisions based off of the will of the voters of Kittitas County(who voted against i502) and taking time to wait and see how other 1