By Jackie Morlan
I will admit to the public that I was the one who stood before our town trustees last September and asked them to lift the ban on allowing cannabis dispensaries within our town boundaries.
I asked the trustees kindly to lift this ban because I am an advocate for change, progress and opportunities that provide our town with economic growth which then entail more revenue.
Some residents want progress that can happen sooner rather than later. I waited 20-plus years for a bathroom facility at the sports facility downtown. I don't think we all want to wait that long for our river corridor to be developed.
Voting yes for Ordinance 417 makes sense to me. The tax revenue will allow the town to advance all of the plans that are now in place. New signage for Bayfield has already been designed. It is beautiful but expensive and right now, it is one sign at a time due to high costs.
Over the years I have seen our town grow into a community that is more self-reliant, a place to call home and a place to be proud of, most of the time.
We have lost businesses, especially on Mill Street and frankly, all sides of the highway. We have one of the very best preschools in Southwest Colorado, the Best Small Library (2014) we have athletic teams and many young families that could certainly use the new courts that can be developed in the town's Conceptual Park Design.
Please vote for progress. I do not want to be faced with increased taxes, fees, etc. for progress. Let it naturally occur by voting yes. Added burdens to residents should be the last alternative for Bayfield.
A yes vote is allowing what is already in place in Cortez, Mancos, Durango and Pagosa Springs. The taxes you pay for products bought locally, stay locally.
Ordinance 417 allows for our town's plans to move forward to become one of the ideal recreational site close to the Pine River, one of our assets that only needs development.
Although the town has not dedicated revenues collected from dispensaries, if allowed, the chances are good that recreational opportunities will advance like this town has never seen.
Have you gone to www.bayfieldgov.org? You can view the amazing transformation of our downtown parks including Eagle Park, the Joe Stephenson Memorial Park and all athletic fields to the south. One of Bayfield's biggest resources, the Pine River that flows through town, can finally be developed to provide another form of recreation for all ages. The town was able to hire a firm that has already designed new signs for all over town and that includes getting rid of old signs.
I hope the many silent but supportive residents of Bayfield will make sure they vote on Nov. 6. Bayfield needs economic growth. Allowing cannabis dispensaries in our town will help our town become more self-sufficient.
My intentions are simple. I am an advocate for our town, I actually live in town so my voice is one that matters.
In 2015 we passed a one-percent sales tax increase to maintain our roads and address ongoing drainage issues. We are sharing that extra one cent with anyone who purchases taxable items in our town. That was a reasonable solution to what could have turned into a huge problem.
I was one person behind this effort because I want our town to flourish.
Look at the streets in Durango. Our streets are in much better condition and this is a result of raising local taxes. Our town is stalled with going forward right now on some amazing plans that are ready to be executed.
Let's get some motion started and vote Yes on Ordinance 417.
Jackie Morlan is a resident of Bayfield.
