MARYSVILLE – Mayor Jon Nehring talked about the new marijuana law and changes in the business community at his Coffee Klatch at Jennings Park Aug. 7.
He explained people can’t smoke pot in public, and police will enforce that.
“We don’t want our kids and families exposed to that,” he said, adding that since it’s an all-cash business it’s ripe for crime, and the city also decided against it in town because there was no shared revenue, but there would be expenses.
Police Chief Rick Smith added he is against it at every level, except for medical reasons, so he’s glad the City Council “had the guts to say no right now.” He added that it used to be pot was done at the high school level, but now he’s seeing it in kids in single digits, under age 10.
“That’s problematic,” he said.
As for business, Nehring was excited to tell the group of about 20 that two new health clubs are coming to town, along with a Petco, Ford dealer, a refurbished Maxwell’s and a Coastal Community Bank. He was especially proud of the latter.
“They were the only ones to forgive loans in the Oso slide area,” he said, adding some of the businesses will clean up parts of town that were “rundown a little bit.”
“I’m excited about the new businesses,” he said. “For many years businesses were closing up shop.”
As for other issues:
Spray Park: “Police used to go there a lot because a different element was there. Now it’s families.”
Waterfront: Work will start on a walking trail this fall near the estuary.
Homelessness:”It’s beyond what the city can do. It needs a regional solution. The elephant in the room for our nation is the mentally ill.” He added he’d rather see money going to mental health than prisons.
Fireworks: “A problem because of our proximity to Boom City.” Laws are difficult to enforce because fireworks go off everywhere and “police have to witness the firework being lit.” A minority of residents are causing “a lot of heartache and trouble.”
The mayor thanked everyone for coming, considering the weather was nice, a free concert was going on nearby, and the Seahawks were on TV. He usually has the meetings every 6-8 weeks in the mornings or afternoons in various areas all around town, but he wanted to try one at night for people who worked.
