Local 'K2' ban OK'd

In about two weeks, a synthetic marijuana product will be harder to find in Portland.
Members of the Portland City Council have passed an ordinance banning the possession of and sale of “Spice”, also known as “K2”.
Anyone found in possession of the substance can be cited into Portland City Court and pay a fine of up to $1,000, said Portland Police Chief Bob Sours.
A business caught selling the substance also would be cited into city court and could be fined up to $2,500, he said. The crime would be an infraction since the state has passed no laws against possessing or selling the substance.
Sours told the city council Tuesday night that two Portland businesses currently sell the substance. The city ordinance will go into effect in two to three weeks. It has to be published twice in the newspaper before it can go into effect.
Jay County Commissioners considered passing a similar ban, but didn’t after Jay County Sheriff Ray Newton said he didn’t think K2 was a problem.
Council member Kent McClung questioned whether the ordinance would be effective, since there’s no way to test someone for use of the substance.
“I think it’s enforceable,” Sours said. “I think we need to step up. (The substance) prohibits driving, walking or even getting along with neighbors.” Someone who smokes K2 can experience a high similar to that of marijuana.
Sours said that about a week ago, an 18-year-old smoked too much of the substance and had to be transported to Jay County Hospital. He said some of the surrounding counties have had several medical runs for people who become ill from the use of K2.
In other business Tuesday, council members approved a 2011 budget of $5,380,000 on first reading.
The 2010 budget of $6,732,000 reflects cuts made by the Department of Local Government Finance.
The budget includes funds for the mayor’s office, the airport, the police department, the fire department and the street department. The budget was reviewed, as required by state law, by the county council on Aug. 25.
Also Tuesday, council members:
•Approved tax abatements for Fort Recovery Construction and Equipment and Stoneridge.
Fort Recovery Construction and Equipment asked for tax abatements on $400,000 in building improvements and $1,657,500 in equipment purchases to manufacture tubes used to collect solar energy. The new line will create 40 new jobs.
Stoneridge asked for a five-year tax abatement on the purchase of two wire cutting machines at a cost of $149,160. The addition of the machines will create 40 new jobs.
Council member Mike Brewster voted against the abatement for Fort Recovery Construction and Equipment. After the meeting, he said he has done some research on the company and its request. “I just didn’t feel comfortable doing it,” he said.
•Heard an update on the Steen Addition sewer separation project.
David Ayala of R.W. Armstrong told the council that the grant funds should be available shortly after Sept. 17, and construction should start immediately after. He said he expects most of the project to be completed by the end of the year.
Currently three combined sewer overflows run into the Salamonia River. This project will separate storm and sanitary sewers, thus eliminating the CSOs.
The addition includes Massachusetts and Pittsburg avenues and other nearby streets on the city’s southeast side. Bruns Building and Development Corporation, St. Henry, Ohio, bid $683,362.70 for the project and was awarded the contract. The project is being largely funded through a grant from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.
•Voted to transfer $61,000 from the airport’s repairs and maintenance fund to three other funds.
A total of $40,000 will be put into a gasoline account established for the new pay at the pump system at the airport. The money will be used to purchase fuel when needed. Also, $1,000 was moved to the office supplies account, and $20,000 was moved into the equipment fund.
•Learned that the city has been awarded a $70,496 Brownfield Grant for the former Sheller Globe building on Bridge Street.
The funds will be used to assess the current condition of the building and look for potential environmental problems. The city’s share of the cost will be $18,000.
Geesaman Industries is still considering purchasing the building for its metal polishing business, Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier said after the meeting. The company also is looking at another location just outside of the city limits, he said.
•Voted to rescind an ordinance approved in 2009 for the Police and Fire Liability Fund.
The ordinance stated that the city paid the retirees. Now, the state has taken over the payments, so the city only has to pay its 19.5 percent share.[[In-content Ad]]