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LISBON -- Lisbon Village Council unanimously approved a 12-month moratorium on adult-use, or recreational, cannabis businesses Tuesday.
The moratorium will allow "the village council and zoning inspector an opportunity to review applicable law and to consider possible amendments to the Village of Lisbon Zoning Code."
The ban prohibits any "issuance of building permits and/or certificates of occupancy for any building, structure, use, or change of use that would enable an adult use cannabis operator or the cultivation, processing, or retail sale of recreational marijuana," the ordinance, number 2182-2024, reads.
The moratorium is a temporary measure set to expire Feb. 27, 2025, but can be changed or canceled by council at any time.
Mayor Peter Wilson reminded council that the Ohio General Assembly is required to pass rules regulating recreational cannabis businesses by the end of the year, at which point the village could potentially begin considering them.
Village Council President Melissa Hiner again recommended the moratorium to allow for the General Assembly to pass rules and for the village zoning inspector to consider amendments to account for recreational cannabis businesses. She listed a number of potential issues pertaining to recreational cannabis businesses that could be addressed in the village zoning code.
The council suspended the rules to allow the ordinance to take effect immediately, passing it as an "emergency measure" after the first reading by council, rather than the three readings usually required for an ordinance.
Ohio voters passed a referendum last November, Issue 2, that legalized the use, cultivation, and purchase of cannabis by adults 21 and older, but the Ohio General Assembly has yet to implement rules concerning legal recreational cannabis.
Also on Tuesday, council approved a first reading of an updated payroll ordinance that will allow the Lisbon Pool and Parks Department to implement a sliding pay scale for seasonal employees. It will be read by council two more times before it can be passed. The only change to the ordinance is the addition of a pay scale for seasonal employees-- from $10.50 to $12 per hour.
"It just gives a little leeway for seasonal employees," Hiner said.
In other business, the village council approved the police department to convert one part-time police officer position to full-time and to hire one more full-time officer, for a total of 11 full-time officers and room in the budget for four part-time officers.
Currently, the department has nine full-time officers and one part-time officer, Hiner said. This change will allow the department to convert the part-time officer to full-time and hire an additional full-time officer.
If the department can find officers willing to work part-time, council has approved it for four.
"We can't hire part-timers, we can't find them," Hiner said.
The change will save the town money on overtime pay, with the money going to additional full-time officers, rather than to a part-time officer and overtime pay to cover shifts, especially holidays and vacations.
It costs the village $80,489 per year for a full-time officer, including the salary and medical benefits for a family, Hiner said.
The road patrol is covered by eight full-time officers, Lisbon Police Chief Mike Abraham said. The other two officers are the school resource officer and the Columbiana County Drug Task Force agent.
The weekly schedule for full-time employees would be four 10-hour shifts, Abraham said.
He mentioned that the water department has five full-time employees who cover eight-hour shifts five-days-a-week.
"I'm covering full-time, 24 hours a day, seven-days-a-week, with eight employees," Abraham said. "It's going to save you a bunch of overtime, that's all."
Council also approved changing the date of the Biannual Village Cleanup to May 11, rather than the typical first Saturday in May, so as not to conflict with the high school prom.
The Lisbon Village Council will next meet at village hall at 6:30 p.m. March 12.