LAKEPORT >> The county wrapped up the series of open workshops for the Article 72 Ordinance. The next step is to determine which ideas gleaned from the meetings will be included in the commercial use document.
Community Development Director Bob Massarelli said the follow up involves making all the necessary adjustments returning the ordinance to the Planning Commission for further direction.
Massarelli’s intent is to have it before the Planning Commission on October 12 for review and approval.
“There’s going to be a lot of change into the next document,” Massarelli said. “It is also my intent is a strikethrough and underline so you can see all the changes we’ve made.”
One option that Massarelli plans to bring to the commission is a prohibition of marijuana sales at certain events, such as the Lake County Fair. Even though alcohol can be sold at events, it is uncertain if having the use of marijuana is supported by the public.
The commission received public input on all 14 sections of the ordinance over a course of three meetings. During their last meeting, they were said to address only three sections but decided to finish the ordinance off and get the next process started.
Each section of the updated Article 72 goes over specifics to be in compliance with licenses and permits, restrictions, land usage, cultivation, retail, enforcement, what permit is required for each specific function, pesticides usage, security and other smaller details.
Even though there are 39 different permits a person or business can apply for, four permits is currently the maximum amount allowed to one name. This is to limit the overuse of marijuana operations in the county and allow easier regulation.
Massarelli said it is important for the county to have something in place before the next year to comply with the state law. He wants to make sure this ordinance is more conservative with its allowance because it is more beneficial to start small and expand on it. This type of agriculture will be a little more restrictive than the cultivation of other crops because it is a newly legalized product.
He explained that the ordinance can always be adjusted if the county feels it is necessary.
“Because it’s in flux, no one knows what it’s going to be or what it’s going to end up looking like and that’s where a lot of the confusion is,” Massarelli said.
Planning Commissioner John Hess said he feels this product, as well as other agricultural products, can coexist together in the county seeing as people are already growing cannabis alongside their crops.
“This commission and the Board of Supervisors will have really blown it if the end result of the process is to exclude people who have been traditional small growers here in the county and have made the effort to come out of the shadows and do things the right way,” Hess said.
