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Appointments to Boards & Commissions
Commissioners appointed Gregory Deranleau as a regular member to the Jefferson County Board of Health. Deranleau, whose term will last through March 2015, replaces John Jehn, who resigned.
The Board of Health is responsible for making policies and decisions that will help promote health and prevent disease in Jefferson County.
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Jeffco Prohibits Medical Marijuana Businesses in Unincorporated County
The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to prohibit businesses that cultivate, manufacture or sell medical marijuana or marijuana-infused products within unincorporated Jefferson County.
 The resolution came with support from the Jeffco Sheriff's Office, District Attorney's Office and Planning & Zoning staff.
This spring, the state legislature passed House Bill 10-1284, which gave local governments the authority to prohibit the operation of medical marijuana centers, cultivation operations and medical marijuana-infused product manufacturing. The county had already placed a moratorium on marijuana dispensaries that would have expired July 12.
When voters originally passed Amendment 20 in 2000 allowing medical marijuana, they intended it to be for patients with cancer, glaucoma, AIDS/HIV or neuromuscular disorders, District Attorney Scott Storey told commissioners at Tuesday's meeting. By the end of 2009, most medical marijuana licenses were issued to people with chronic pain, muscle spasms and nausea.
"The general intent of the medical marijuana amendment has gone off the side of the road," Storey said, commenting on the nearly 40,000 licenses that currently exist and the nearly 40,000 on waiting lists for medical marijuana licenses.
Smaller law enforcement agencies also are worried about being able to enforce dispensary regulations with limited manpower, Sheriff Ted Mink told commissioners.
"I'd encourage the commissioners to take an affirmative stand and say, 'No, we don't want (medical marijuana dispensaries) in unincorporated Jefferson County,'" Mink said.
The resolution adopted by the BCC says, it is "necessary to the preservation and furtherance of the health safety and welfare of the citizens of Jefferson County" to prohibit marijuana businesses within unincorporated Jeffco.
"If this had been approached as a medical issue using a medical delivery system that has the kinds of regulations that other potentially dangerous medical treatments, such as the delivery of other potentially addicting drugs, I might have been more supportive," said Commissioner Kathy Hartman, chair of the Board of County Commissioners.
Commissioner Faye Griffin commented on the confusion of the amendment that voters adopted in 2000, saying that she didn't think voters understood the complexity of what they approved.
Commissioner Kevin McCasky said he was grateful for the time and effort that the Sheriff, District Attorney and staff put into their research on the issue.
The resolution is effective immediately. |
BCC Shows Support of Local Administration of Human Services
Commissioners approved a Resolution for the Support of Local Administration of Colorado's Human Services System and a Commitment to Excellence.
 The resolution cites the work of Governor Ritter's Child Welfare Action Committee, which recommended that the state structurally reorganize the delivery of all human services in the state, not just the child welfare system. According to the resolution that commissioners approved, the rate of child fatalities because of abuse or neglect per 100,000 children is slightly higher for state-administered systems than county systems, and the percent of child fatalities with prior county involvement has declined over seven years from 56 percent to 24 percent.
Colorado Counties, Inc., of which Jefferson County is a member, "advocates local administration of the social services system in order to maximize the flexibility and responsiveness of the system to local needs, while ensuring efficient management and local control."
In the resolution, Jefferson County reaffirms its commitment to:
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Excellence in the provision of human services and child welfare
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Continuous quality improvement
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The enhancement of accountability of both state and local governments' management
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Support for a locally administered human services system
For more information about Jeffco's Human Services Department, visit its website. |
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 View BCC Meetings Online! |
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The BCC approved a $6 million contract with 