As they have been throughout much of the year, water rates and cannabis were two items on the Benicia City Council’s agenda at its Tuesday meeting.
The first reading and public hearing of an ordinance to amend the water rates to add a medical disability discount was tried by the council in October. Staff proposed to expand the water discount to include both low-income and medically disabled customers. A clarification of the ordinance in order to explain that the combined discounts cannot exceed the water maintenance charge caused the ordinance reading to push back to Tuesday’s meeting.
Staff recommended that public hearings be conducted and the Council introduce an ordinance amending the water rates and charges chapter of the Benicia Municipal Code to add medical disability to the water discount.
There was no public comment on the subject. The council expressed concerns that the city was not prepared or fully secured to store citizens’ information and would vote for a continuance of the agenda item.
A moratorium related to cannabis use was brought up by the council because the city expressed a desire to have more time be devoted to a study related to the issue and draft ordinances concerning the Adult Use of Marijuana Act under Proposition 64, which California voters approved in the 2016 general election. The moratorium would not change the scheduled cannabis agenda item on Dec. 5 and aimed to allow the city to consider appropriate regulations for cannabis, according to a staff report. Staff recommended that the council continue the interim urgency ordinance to allow time for the city to consider appropriate cannabis regulation.
The council took a vote to continue the moratorium until Jan. 31, but it failed to pass due to the motion not receiving a majority four vote. Another motion that followed staff’s recommendation passed unanimously.
The council will next meet Tuesday, Dec. 5.

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