Marijuana rule revisions postponed to Sept. 17 meeting —
The Fayetteville City Council on Sept. 3 voted unanimously to allow cremations at Mowell Funeral Home and Cremation Service to operate with no time restrictions. Also at the meeting, the marijuana ordinance on the agenda was tabled until the Sept. 17 meeting.
When the cremation service was approved in April 2017, one of the conditions required that those services be conducted Monday-Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The request before the council asked that the crematory be able to operate each day of the week with no time restrictions.
Making the case to operate the cremation service with no time restrictions, Mowell Funeral Home and Cremation Service President David Mowell in a July 22 letter said, “Because the nature of our business is 24 hours a day, we would like to be able to operate our crematory at any time. This will allow us to better schedule our ever-changing employee demands and maintain our safety regulations, especially regarding cases involving Covid-19.”
Mowell said delaying the cremation process increases the exposure of staff, families and the community to potential hazards, adding that having no time restrictions will enable the service to better handle family requests regarding their individual customs and preferences.
Council members agreed to the request by unanimous vote.
A second request asked that the requirement to test soil on the Mowell property, Church Street Park and properties 10 feet downwind every six months be removed.
The council denied that request.
Also at the meeting, the second of two public hearings on a new marijuana ordinance designed to lower fine amounts and have the person cited avoid jail time was tabled. The item will be on the Sept. 17 meeting agenda.
