A recent memo from Hennessey’s town attorney to the board about it’s “fairly stiff” marijuana ordinance prompted special board meeting and action last week.

The board opted to develop a new ordinance similar to Kingfi sher’s in a 5-0 vote. Members were expected to take action on it at their regular meeting Tuesday (after press time).

That came after attorney John Wynne’s email memo that noted the ordinance “effectively bar(s) sales from your community.”

He gave them two options: “1. Leave current regulation in place. The downside is someone will contest your regulations,” and you will have to spend lots of money defending it.

Or: “2. Eliminate all regulation and rely on state law.”

The board members took no action at their Oct. 7 meeting when Wynne told them about the same thing. He also said he’d been contacted by someone who wanted to put a growing plant inside the town limits.

Others had asked for information about putting in dispensaries, Town Administrator Tiffany Tillman told the board last month.

The ordinance approved last November is “boiler plate” and said marijuana laws “are kind of moving targets,” the attorney told them last month.

The current ordinance would not allow growing inside the town limits and no one could put a retail store within 1,000 feet of a school or 300 feet from any park, church or residence.

“So that’s the whole town,” Public Works Director Curtis Turner said at last month’s meeting.

“Remember also that the state regulates, but the only real restriction is no facility within 1,000 feet from a school entry,” the attorney wrote in his memo.

Mayor Bert Gritz said he asked for each board member to give their opinions at the start of the meeting and was “surprised that all seemed to be on the same page” about the change.

Other board members at the meeting: Vice Mayor Clif Vogt, Wes Hardin, Keith Meek, Richard Simunek.

Tillman said Hennessey High School seniors Mariana Gonzalez and Kaden Mitchell attended the special meeting and joined the discussion.

“Mariana offered some insight about how medical marijuana had helped people,” said Tillman.

“She had written a paper about it. The board thanked them for coming.”

“Kaden also said he felt like it had benefits for some people,” said Gritz.

Also in the audience was Jack Quirk.

The Times & Free Press

did not have a reporter there due to being unable to open a file notifying of the special meeting.