To: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
From: Cannabis
Meeting Date: October 8, 2024
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Department Contact: |
Sara McBurney |
Phone: |
707-234-6680 |
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Department Contact: |
Steve Dunnicliff |
Phone: |
707-463-4441 |
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Item Type: Consent Agenda |
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Time Allocated for Item: N/A |
Agenda Title:
title
Approval of First Amendment to BOS Agreement 23-074 with Ascent Environmental, Inc., Extending the Agreement Date through March 31, 2025
End
Recommended Action/Motion:
recommendation
Approve first amendment to BOS Agreement 23-074 with Ascent Environmental, Inc., extending the Agreement date through March 31, 2025; and authorize Chair to sign same.
End
Previous Board/Board Committee Actions:
At the March 14, 2023, Board of Supervisors meeting, the Board directed County Counsel to draft an ordinance that would streamline the cannabis permitting process while maintaining all existing environmental protection measures. At the same time, the Board directed the Executive Office and County Counsel to work with the Department of Cannabis Control (“DCC”) to develop a pathway for applicants to obtain an annual state license.
On May 22, 2023, the Board of Supervisors approved and entered into agreement 23-074 with Ascent Environmental for up to $5,000,000 in Environmental Planning Services from the Effective Date of the Agreement through December 31, 2024.
On September 25, 2024, the General Government Committee recommended approval to the Board of Supervisors.
Summary of Request:
The DCC and Mendocino County continue to work in partnership to support provisional cultivation licensees’ transition to annual licensure and support the issuance of annual licenses for new cultivation within the County.
DCC, which is responsible for the issuance of state commercial cannabis licenses, is the lead agency in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”).
In August 2023, DCC issued a Notice of Preparation (“NOP”) stating that an Environmental Impact Report (“EIR”) for the Licensing of Commercial Cannabis Cultivation in Mendocino County would be prepared. The EIR will programmatically evaluate the environmental impacts of the DCC’s annual licensing of commercial cannabis cultivation operations in the County as well as the environmental impacts of future licensed commercial cannabis cultivation operations. Where needed, the EIR will identify potentially feasible mitigation measures to avoid and/or substantially lessen any significant adverse effects identified in the EIR’s impact analysis.
The DCC is currently working with Ascent, to develop the EIR. The progress of individual applications relies on the completion of the EIR, and the completion of any mitigation identified as applicable to site specific cultivation project(s). This request will allow Ascent Environmental additional time, extending the current agreement terms from December 31, 2024, to March 31, 2025, to finalize the EIR and provide individual site-specific review, utilizing Local Jurisdiction Assistance Grant Program (“LJAGP”) funding.
Alternative Action/Motion:
Do not approve agreement; provide direction to staff.
Strategic Plan Priority Designation: An Effective County Government
Supervisorial District: All
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supplemental Information Available Online At: N/A
Fiscal Details:
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source of funding: WOLJA21 |
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current f/y cost: YES |
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budget clarification: The cost of this agreement is entirely covered through the LJAGP Grant |
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annual recurring cost: NO |
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budgeted in current f/y (if no, please describe): Yes |
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revenue agreement: No |
AGREEMENT/RESOLUTION/ORDINANCE APPROVED BY COUNTY COUNSEL: Yes
CEO Liaison: Executive Office
CEO Review: Yes
CEO Comments:
FOR COB USE ONLY
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Executed By: Atlas Pearson, Senior Deputy Clerk |
Final Status: Approved |
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Date: October 8, 2024 |
Executed Item Type: Agreement |
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Number: 23-074-A1 |
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