To: Board of Supervisors
From: Executive Office and Planning and Building Services
Meeting Date: April 18, 2017
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Department Contact: |
Steve Dunnicliff |
Phone: |
463-4441 |
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Department Contact: |
Janelle Rau |
Phone: |
463-4441 |
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Department Contact: |
Nash Gonzalez |
Phone: |
234-6661 |
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Item Type: Regular Agenda |
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Time Allocated for Item: 30 min |
Agenda Title:
title
Discussion and Possible Action Regarding Presentation on the Development of a Cannabis Compliance Unit within Planning & Building Services (Sponsors: Executive Office and Planning and Building Services)
End
Recommended Action/Motion:
recommendation
Accept the presentation and provide possible direction to staff regarding the development of a cannabis compliance unit within Planning and Building Services.
End
Previous Board/Board Committee Actions:
On April 4, 2017, the Board received an update on the Cannabis Cultivation Program operational readiness and enforcement planning and adopted ordinances that put in place Chapter 10A.17 Medical Cannabis Cultivation and Chapter 20.242 Medical Cannabis Cultivation Site.
Summary of Request:
On May 4, 2017 the County’s Cannabis Cultivation Program, authorized through Chapters 10A.17 and 20.242 of Mendocino County Code, will become operational. In preparation, the County continues to invest significant time and effort into development of a permitting program, led by the Agriculture Department, which is expected to experience heavy demand for service. The permitting program is being developed in conjunction with a working group that includes various representatives from the Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Planning and Building Services, Executive Office, Treasurer - Tax Collector, County Counsel, Air Quality Management District and the Division of Environmental Health. Unpermitted cultivation is expected to include two primary groupings, with different paths toward resolution for each. Trespass and large-scale cultivation will continue to be handled as a criminal matter by the Sheriff’s Office. Smaller scale cultivation which is prohibited by the County’s Cannabis Cultivation Program will be addressed by code enforcement staff within Planning & Building Services (PBS) using administrative citations, abatement processes, and/or civil court. In collaboration with County Counsel and your Board, PBS staff have prepared for this role over the last 16 months. Preparation included contracting with a local expert in code enforcement who has been reviewing and developing internal procedures, hiring a new supervisor for the code enforcement unit, and developing new tools, including administrative citations, administrative penalties, and expedited abatement processes. The final step to prepare for operation of the Cannabis Compliance Unit will be to hire two new code enforcement officers, for a total of seven full-time code enforcement officers (which includes Trent Taylor as a contract manager currently). Human Resources is expected to provide the department with an initial list of candidates the week of April 17; a related and still open recruitment for candidates will close on April 20. This unit will have resource assistance as necessary from the Executive Office and work in partnership with law enforcement and the Agriculture Department. Additional detail, including a flow chart and an organizational chart can be found in the attached memo.
Alternative Action/Motion:
Provide alternative direction to staff.
Supplemental Information Available Online at: N/A
Fiscal Impact:
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Source of Funding: N/A |
Budgeted in Current F/Y: N/A |
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Current F/Y Cost: N/A |
Annual Recurring Cost: N/A |
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Supervisorial District: All |
Vote Requirement: Majority |
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Agreement/Resolution/Ordinance Approved by County Counsel: N/A
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CEO Liaison: Alan D. Flora, Assistant CEO |
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CEO Review: Yes |
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Comments: