WARREN — A City Council member wants to use a portion 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 it was met with caution by Legal Director Enzo Cantalamessa, who warned against premature commitments until the state offers more clarity on how those funds can legally be spent.

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

“Every year we run out of money for basic maintenance” Rucker said. “This marijuana money presents an opportunity to put it back into our neighborhoods and improve 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 money on something we think qualifies as an approved use only to find out the state disagrees and demands reimbursement.” Cantalamessa said.

He said the state has yet to define what qualifies as a legitimate “municipal purpose” for marijuana income.

Cantalamessa also expressed concern about limiting the use of funds too soon through municipal ordinances.

“If we pin these funds on specific uses now, we could tie our hands in the future if financial conditions change,” Cantalamessa said. “Economic realities change and we do not want to be stagnant because of the restrictions we implemented today.”

Council members agreed that flexibility would be essential. While there is strong support for investing in beautification, 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 current challenges related to stray animals and leash law enforcement.

Councilwoman Honeya Price, D-6th Ward, said enforcement needs to be improved, citing cases where residents let their dogs roam off leash.

“There are too many cases where people let their dogs roam free because they think they are well trained.” Price said. “We need to 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 cases where residents ignored requests to leash their dogs, leading to complaints.

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

Council members also expressed concern 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 police non-emergency 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 own pets. The goal, he said, is to eliminate a common defense in which landlords claim ignorance about tenants who have animals, especially when those animals cause problems.

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

The proposed letter would be sent to the owner’s address on file with the auditor’s office.