WARREN — A city council member wants to use some of the revenue the city receives from recreational marijuana sales to fund neighborhood beautification efforts.

Councilwoman Helen Rucker, D-at Large, made the proposal Wednesday, but received caution from Law Director Enzo Cantalamessa, who cautioned against premature commitments until the state provides more clarity on how such funds can be spent. legally.

Rucker said new revenue is needed to address recurring issues such as grass cutting, trash collection and vacant lot maintenance.

“Every year we run out of money for basic maintenance,” Rucker said. “This marijuana money is an opportunity to bring it back into our neighborhoods and improve the quality of life.”

Cantalamessa advised council members to proceed with caution, explaining that while the revenue is promising, spending it without clear state guidance could backfire.

“We don’t want to spend the money on something we think qualifies as an approved use only to find out later that the state disagrees and is asking for reimbursement.” said Cantalamessa.

He said the state has not yet defined what qualifies as legitimate “municipal purpose” for marijuana revenue.

Cantalamessa also expressed concerns about city ordinances limiting the use of funds too soon.

“If we lock these funds into specific uses now, we could tie our hands in the future if financial conditions change,” said Cantalamessa. “Economic realities are changing, and we don’t want to be stuck with the restrictions we’re putting in place today.”

Council members agreed that flexibility would be essential. While there is strong support for beautification investments, some council members share a desire to wait until the state provides clearer guidance on how municipalities can allocate marijuana revenue.

The council also addressed the ongoing challenges of stray and leashed animal enforcement.

Councilwoman Honeya Price, D-6th Ward, said better enforcement is needed, citing cases of residents letting their dogs off-leash.

“There are too many cases where people let their dogs roam free because they think their pets are well-trained.” The price said. “We must enforce subpoenas to ensure public safety.”

Council members discussed encouraging police officers to issue warnings and citations for leash law violations more consistently.

Price said there have been instances where residents have ignored requests to put their dogs on a leash, leading to complaints.

“The problem is people say, ‘So-and-so’s dog isn’t on a leash, so why should mine be?’ We need to respond when these violations occur,” she said.

Council members also raised concerns about the capacity of local shelters, which are struggling to handle the number of stray animals. They discussed ways to improve public communication, including urging residents to use the non-emergency police number instead of calling the dog warden directly to report problems.

Cantalamessa proposed a measure to improve enforcement of animal ordinances by sending formal notices to landlords whose tenants have pets. The goal, he said, is to eliminate a common defense in which landlords plead ignorance about tenants keeping animals, especially when those animals cause problems.

“The purpose of sending the letter is to notify the property owner,” said Cantalamessa. “If a tenant’s pet causes harm or creates a nuisance afterward, the landlord can no longer argue in court that he did not know the tenant had pets.”

The proposed letter will be sent to the property owner’s address on file in the auditor’s office.