The Yucca Valley Town Council said good-bye to County Fire Division Chief Dave Benfield at its meeting last night, and welcomed Division Chief John Chamberlin who will be taking his place. Benfield, who will be retiring March 20, has been division chief of the South Desert Region for about 1 ½ years. Chamberlin is coming here from Fontana. In addition, Council member Rick Denison was promoted last week to battalion chief to replace Gary Bush, and will remain in Yucca Valley. Managing editor Tami Roleff says the council then got down to the main item of business on the proposed medical marijuana initiative…
The Yucca Valley Town Council punted the decision to town residents on whether to allow medical marijuana dispensaries in the town. Council member Bob Leone tried to get the council to vote on the measure at its meeting last night. “We have had a medical marijuana dispensary in the town for three years…. Because of the cost—a special election would run about $50,000—I would make a motion to adopt this ordinance.” But his motion failed due to a lack of a second. Council member Merl Abel explained why he didn’t second Leone’s motion. “I don’t pretend to understand or know what the voters would like, so I’m asking that the council would consider allowing the voters of Yucca Valley to decide if marijuana dispensaries are wanted or warranted in the community.” Council member Rick Denison agreed. “It is in the best interest of the community to know with clarity of what this town wants. So now is the time for us to actually bring this forward to the voters and have that decision be made for us.” And so the council unanimously approved a resolution calling for a special election for June 2 for town residents to vote on a proposed measure that would allow up to two medical marijuana dispensaries in the town.
