The Colusa Planning Commission workshop last week was the first step for officials to consider new cannabis regulations.
The Planning Commission has chosen to take small steps at times, giving staff direction on issues to write into a new comprehensive cannabis ordinance, which will eventually be adopted in draft form before being sent to the City Council for final approval.
The commission is looking at placing limits on the number of cannabis businesses that will be allowed within city limits, streamlining the application process, opening an application window, and possibly creating a merit-based system for accepting and approving new applications.
“When you look at all of the different municipalities in the state of California, you will see limitations,” said Project Manager Sadie Boggs Ash, who is working with officials and the city manager as a consultant to develop more stringent regulations. “It’s a split. You will see limitations on business permits…but what you will see, more often than not, are limitations on one single applicant’s canopy.”
Planning Commissioners, City Manager Jesse Cain, and Ash, are recommending the City Council establish a standing cannabis oversight committee to replace the two-member ad hoc committee.
Ash said a standing committee could provide oversight of the application process and other duties, such as recommending how the city’s cannabis funds should be spent.
“The committee would have two council members and three members of the public who will work with the finance director…” Ash said. “They would provide oversight to staff, reporting, looking to see if the finances look right. They would probably meet quarterly.”
The Planning Commission is also planning to recommend the city address personal cultivation in its ordinance, which has not previously been addressed by the city.
The state allows individuals 21 and over to grow six plants per parcel, but the city can regulate whether it’s indoor or outdoor, the type of structures and security needed, and other specifics that may keep homegrown marijuana from being a nuisance, officials said.
“There are other things we can do, like requiring it not to be visible to the outside,” said Planning Commission Chairman John Martin, referring to illegal backyard grows.
Commissioners also suggested the City Council place a temporary moratorium on cannabis cultivation and manufacturing until the city has the opportunity to create a better system
for code enforcement and oversight of the existing cannabis businesses.
“We’ve applied for state funding through a grant process,” Cain said. “By the city changing its ordinance last year allowing for storefronts, it made the city eligible for $3 million every three years to offset the jurisdiction’s cost to deal with cannabis and enforce the regulations.”
The grant would cover the cost of a code enforcement officer, a code enforcement vehicle, and possibly two additional police officers.
In lieu of a temporary moratorium, the commissioner recommended that the ordinance make the limit on cultivation and manufacturing equal to the number of existing businesses and those currently in the approval process.
Most agreed the city should limit storefronts to just one to start.
While the informal workshop went about 30 minutes over the time they anticipated, Cain and Ash were pleased with the feedback they received from commissioners and the public as to how to move forward with the ordinance.
Additional workshops will be held in the future so staff can put recommendations into the new ordinance – sections at a time – for approval. ■