Portsmouth Seeks to Tax Medical Marijuana Center

The Portsmouth Town Council took up a number of issues on May 13, 2013. Featured here is an account of the meeting. 

7 p.m. - Molly Magee and John Blaess are running late. Only five councilors are present. 

7:03 - New LCD TV screens are present in the council chambers. Portsmouth High School students installed the screens. Portsmouth Town Hall also now has WiFi. 

7:04 - The council presented a proclamation to the Middletown "Teacher of the Year" Sharon Bissonnette, a Portsmouth resident. 

7:06 - Doug Smith and Gary Gump, members of the Portsmouth 375th Anniversary Committee, were also honored with a proclamation. Smith and Gump are heading to Portsmouth, England, the town's namesake. They will present a formal invitation from the town to the Portsmouth, England, mayor. The letter also asks Portsmouth, England, to become Portsmouth, Rhode Island's official sister city. 

7:11 - Council President Jim Seveney announced Portsmouth was once again named a national "Tree City." 

7:12 - On April 25, an underage drinking sting took place at The Beach House. The council agreed to schedule a show cause hearing at the police chief's request. 

7:20 - The police chief announced , was removed from The Cove. 

7:30 - The council heard from a member of the Friends of Anne Hutchinson. A donor would like to offer the town three stone benches for the Founder’s Brook/Anne Hutchinson Memorial, as part of the town's 375th anniversary. 

7:39 - Council approves permit for 375th Anniversary Parade to be held Aug. 31. 

7:41 - The next 375th anniversary will be held this Saturday at Greenvale Vineyards with an unveiling of the 375th anniversary wine. 

7:45 - Gary Crosby requests RFP for new Prudence Island Ferry service. As of Dec. 1, ferry service to Prudence Island will end. A Hog Island resident requests services to her island, as well. Ferry services to Hog Island has not existed for more than a decade, she said. 

7:53 - Council requests town administrator to draft RFP for Prudence Island and Hog Island ferry services. 

7:54 - Seveney says has been filed in federal court. The town of Portsmouth has asked Little Compton, Tiverton and Middletown to join lawsuit.

8 p.m. - Portsmouth School Committee presents budget and capital request to council.  

8:03 - A large freshmen class of Little Compton students will increase revenue next year, says school district finance director.  

8:11 - School Committee requests $350,000 in capital costs from town. The amount will fund technology improvements, new lockers and remodeling bathrooms at the high school, and the replacement of a school vehicle. 

8:25 - Portsmouth Town Hall's new WiFi password is "Town Hall." 

8:26 - Crosby requests RFP for Portsmouth Wind Turbine generator. The wind turbine has been broken for more than a year. 

8:28 - Councilor John Blaess arrives. 

8:29 - Council approves RFP for wind turbine generator in order to seek a company to either replace the wind turbine or take over the town's wind turbine operations. Crosby says the vendor, who was not identified, has a "viable solution." 

8:33 - Ray Davis speaks about Portsmouth Prevention Coalition's Community Needs Assessment. Survey results, announced prior to meeting, showed more than 50% of high school senior boys smoked marijuana and more than than 70% of high school seniors drank alcohol. 

9:17 - Councilor Dave Gleason requests discussion related to the potential taxing of marijuana sales at the soon-to-open Greenleaf Compassion Center, the state's second medical marijuana center to open. "I'm requesting the town solicitor look at this," Gleason said. "I think it might open new issues with town." 

9:19 - Gleason motions to request solicitor to look into taxing center. Seth Bock, CEO of Greenleaf, stands at podium.

9:20 - "It's very clear, under the state's Constitution, towns and cities cannot levy any tax or fees without the General Assembly being the authority," said the acting town solicitor. "Cities and towns just don't have the power." 

9:27 - Bock explains the state's medical marijuana program and how caregivers give medical marijuana to the center. 

9:29 - Liz Pedro asks for motion to include requesting the General Assembly to allow the town to tax the medical marijuana center. 

9:32 - Gleason motions for town solicitor to start process to grant General Assembly approval for taxing medical marijuana center. Councilor Keith Hamilton says date is past to introduce bills. 

9:34 - Councilor John Blaess proposes, as motion is on table to possible tax medical marijuana center, for Seth Bock to make "sizable donation to the Portsmouth Substance Prevention Coalition." "We would support something like that," Bock said. 

9:42 - Council votes 6-0, with Magee absent, to seek General Assembly approval to tax medical marijuana center. 

9:46 - Council enters executive session.