Proposed Healing Center Moratorium and Anti-Loitering Law On the Table
Trevor Phipps
This Thursday, sparks may ignite inside the Woodland Park Council chambers over two sensitive and controversial topics: “Magic Mushroom” centers and public panhandling.
During their Oct. 17 meeting, the Woodland Park elected leaders will consider separate measures, aimed at addressing growing concerns over loitering and panhandling in public areas due to an influx of more homeless individuals; along with a plan to impose a six-month moratorium on allowing plant-based medicine healing centers, often referred to by some civic leaders as a hub for “Magic Mushroom” usage. As a result, Thursday’s meeting could get quite lengthy.
These issues came to the forefront following a lively discussion in an earlier meeting this month.
The agenda for the council’s Oct. 2 session was short but not short of out-of-the ordinary topics. The session culminated when Woodland Park Mayor Kellie Case brought up a couple of topics that the city plans to address in the coming months.
After hearing complaints about an increase of homeless people, loitering, panhandling and sleeping inside city limits, the mayor asked the council for consensus to instruct the city to draft an ordinance banning loitering in public spaces.
Secondly, the topic of plant-based medicine healing centers that can legally administer certain hallucinogenic drugs, such as psilocybin, was also brought up. During the public comment section of the meeting, the fact that healing centers will be allowed in the state, starting in 2025, was mentioned.
The council agreed that the city staff should look into drafting an ordinance that will better empower the police to deal with cases of panhandling and loitering. They also came to a consensus to have the city attorney draft a moratorium on allowing magic mushroom healing centers ,until city staff can research their options on whether or not to allow the businesses inside Woodland Park City Limits.
Taking a Stand Against Panhandlers
Despite Woodland Park’s small size, it apparently is not immune from a growing problem with homeless people, and more pubic displays of panhandlers asking for money and assistance.
During a mayoral report on Oct. 2, Case brought up the issues of camping and panhandling and wanted consensus from the council to direct city staff to come up with ways to regulate the problems occurring within the city. According to City Manager Aaron Vassalotti, the city has a camping ordinance, but not one that deals directly with loitering or panhandling.
Councilwoman Teri Baldwin pointed out that some private properties in the city, like Walmart, have signs that ban loitering while others, such as the Safeway and City Market shopping centers, do not. The ordinance the staff is considering would ban activities, such as loitering and panhandling in public spaces. It would specifically deal with this type of activity at parks and city sidewalks.
All of the council members agreed by consensus to let the staff draft an ordinance addressing this problem. “Can we also look up if panhandling is considered a business operating without a license?” asked Councilman Steve “Smitty” Smith.
Council Says No to Mushroom Healing Centers
During public comment at their earlier meeting, licensed counselor and Woodland Park resident Jason Friesema explained to the council what the healing centers, legalized statewide, will look like. “This is not a product-based business (like recreational and medical marijuana),” Friesema said. “It is still illegal for anybody to leave a healing center with any of the plant-based medicine. All of the effects of the psychedelic, the taking of it and the journey in the healing process will all occur at the healing center. Once the medicine has worn off, people then exit the facility and then no product ever exits the facility.”
The state law has measures to ensure security at the centers. The law also states that no healing centers can be within 1,000 feet from a school or childcare facility.
But during the mayor’s report, Case asked council for a consensus to let staff draft an ordinance that would place a moratorium on healing centers coming to the city. The mayor said that the moratorium would give city staff time to conduct research and give the council options based on what other municipalities in the state have already done.
At first, some council members didn’t like the idea of a moratorium, saying that the application process would give the council plenty of time to decide whether or not to allow healing centers. However, Case reminded the council that 2025 is just a couple of months away. Moreover, she noted that if someone applies for a healing center license on January 1, and the city doesn’t have any ordinances in place to regulating them, there is nothing the city can do to keep them from coming to town even if many community members don’t want them.
The council eventually agreed that implementing a six-month moratorium on hallucinogen healing centers would be a good idea. “The purpose of that would be for me to present to you the laws and regulations, what you can and can’t do, what you can regulate and the options available to you,” Woodland Park City Attorney Betsy Stewart said. “It allows me to give you a really good understanding and background on what you can do.”
Stewart said that she would draft an ordinance, which is slated for discussion at Thursday’s (Oct. 17) meeting. The council can then change the amount of months proposed for the mushroom healing center moratorium. Even if the moratorium is passed, the council can remove the healing center ban at any time.
During the upcoming meeting, the council is slated to vote on both a new anti-loitering and panhandling ordinance and a moratorium on allowing plant-based medicine healing centers. A number of other Colorado communities have grappled with these same issues.
