Sep. 7—SOUTH WINDSOR — Town Council members will discuss the legalization of marijuana and its impact on the town tonight, continuing their discussion from the July 19 meeting.
Mayor Andrew Paterna said council members will discuss the text of the proposal and recommendations they would make to the Planning and Zoning Commission, which is expected to take up the issue soon.
“We want to review the legislation and take a look at some of the aspects of what the town would want to do,” Paterna said.
Paterna said the town has had medical marijuana zoning regulations that council members may consider when thinking about recreational marijuana ordinances, but recreational marijuana is a different matter.
“We would want to be a little more specific in our regulations,” Paterna said.
Two other items of unfinished business from July 19 on tonight’s agenda are the planned COVID-19 memorial and discussion regarding the creation of an arts commission.
Paterna said construction of the COVID-19 memorial has been waiting on the confirmation and delivery of donations pledged by local businesses.
Also, council members will discuss a draft of an ordinance that would create the South Windsor Arts Commission, or SWAC. The draft reads that the purpose of the commission would be to “foster and facilitate participation in and development and appreciation of a variety of artistic and cultural activities.”
According to council meeting minutes, the idea of creating an arts commission was initially brought up by Councilman Erica Evans at the council’s June 7 meeting.
Evans said in July that she raised the idea after a town directive was issued in September 2020 stating no murals, paintings, or messages would be allowed on or at town facilities. The directive was issued in response to “Black Lives Matter” messages being painted and subsequently defaced by residents on the Town Hall driveway in the wake of the killing of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police.
Paterna said the council does not expect to take action on any of these matters at the meeting, only discuss them and decide how to move forward.
“If there’s any further research to be done or any questions to be answered, we will take action at the next meeting,” Paterna said.
Joseph covers East Hartford and South Windsor. He joined the JI in July 2021. Joseph graduated from the University of Connecticut and he is an avid guitarist and coffee enthusiast.