“I mean, the law allows us to go up to 1,000 feet. Why make it easier by dropping it down to 500? That’s my opinion because the benefit to the city is going to be the revenue. I don’t know if we need that revenue. The downside is going to be some of the other things that are going to come from medical marijuana. You’ve got to think about what is going to happen if marijuana is in a home with kids.

"It’s the same thing that you see with regular prescription drugs. I think we’re going to see some of these things. So, anyway, just my opinion, my thoughts expressed here, I think we move to change this from the 500 [feet buffer zone] to the 1,000. That’s what I would do. We can’t stop it from coming to Missouri, because the law has been passed, but we can make some restrictions to make it more difficult to be in our community amongst our children, our grandchildren and everybody else.”

Felker’s comments led to a lengthy discussion between the council members, Mayor Larry Forsythe, City Administrator Greg Beavers and City Counselor Scott Reid on how to best handle a change in the buffer zone since the proposed ordinance had already undergone its first reading at the previous meeting and needed only a second reading and vote to pass it into law.