Alva needs a new direction over laws, regulations, rules
August 23, 2019
I’m concerned about the shrinking downward size of the Alva business community. As an elderly woman told me a few days ago that she could remember when Alva had about seven bars and when a college town begins to see bars closing and now we are down to two or three there is something wrong!
Now this could be a side effect of the new state liquor laws. I can remember when Alva had six or seven liquor stores and now we have only one full liquor store. These changes have also affected city sale taxes. Something needs to be looked at to find a new sales tax source.
Additionally Alva has three large empty business sites near the intersection of 64 and 281 by the college. Theses empty sites give an expression of a dying community for Alva.
Now Alva has passed regulations that have been used to stop a medical marijuana business from opening and providing a new source of sales taxes. With several empty business spots around the downtown square plus a huge empty area, you would think that getting new businesses located here would be seen as a positive. Council member Randy Stelling reports that his city committee was not recommending any present changes until the “State” can figure out what it was doing on the medical marijuana business rules.
Meanwhile people who are able to are driving to either Cherokee or Waynoka for their medical needs. However there are people who are so ill who cannot afford to drive out of town, thus adding another burden to their situation. Those individuals that do drive out of Alva take their spending money with them and spend it there thus causing those locations to increase their sales taxes while Alva loses.
We need to ask the question that by denying medical marijuana businesses is Alva cutting off our nose to spite our face?
Alva needs a new direction over its laws, regulations and rules; how those policies are enforced. We need to open up our zoning regulations to allow new businesses like medical marijuana businesses to open.
Additionally the city of Alva needs to look at the individual who makes recommendations to the city council. With that in mind Alva also needs a new business-city manager. This might help calm the recent turmoil in local politics.
Respectfully
Lenny Reed
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