Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Pueblo - The price of doing business in Pueblo just got a lot higher for potential retail marijuana business owners.
City council voted this week to up the annual licensing fee to $10,000, and $15,000 for the initial license fee.
Prior to that, both fees were $6,000.
"This is what we're saying it's costing us," said Pueblo City Council President Steve Nawrocki.
"If you want to open up a new operation in Pueblo--these are going to be the fees," he added.
But some people have already invested time and money into their marijuana businesses in Pueblo.
"It's not an asset I can just walk away from," said Allan Allman, who owns a marijuana-infused product manufacturing facility.
Allman is the most recent in a small group of business owners who have been given the green light to run their-marijuana related business within city limits.
"I came to the city expecting a $6,000 annual fee and now I see I'm not grandfathered in," he said.
Allman tells News5 he began his licensing process--as well as paying fees--last year, but was just cleared to start operating this month.
He says he never thought the annual licensing fee would double--just a year later.
And that's not including the annual state licensing fee, or the $5,000 annual conditional use permit Allman is paying for as well.
"You're talking 20,000 in starter fees. It's going to push a smaller entrepreneur like myself to go somewhere else--and I don't know if that's the expected outcome of it," he explained.
City Council President Steve Nawrocki says it's a fair price assessment when you consider the amount of time and resources city staff will be shifting over to the local retail marijuana industry.
"It's all based on what we felt after a least of at least a year of experience with manufacturing and growing, that there's a pretty high cost to staff time," said Nawrocki, who pointed out that a number of city departments have suffered from downsizing in recent years.
Pueblo's new licensing fees are significantly higher than other parts of the state, though.
Pueblo County, for example, charges a $6,000 annual fee for storefronts and MIP manufacturing facilities.
Cultivations cost $5,000, plus 50 cents per square foot for inside cultivations, and 25 cents per sq. foot for outside cultivations--capping out at $15,000.
In Denver and Manitou Springs, it's $5,000.
City council members have the option to change those fees in the future.
During discussion at Tuesday's meeting, they indicated they likely wouldn't revisit it until at least a year had passed.
Allman hopes him and other business owners won't take too big of a financial hit in that time.
"To me that's saying, 'well, we'll see if they're still in business, and if they're not then we'll drop it [the fees].'"
"Being a pioneer isn't fun when you're the one who has to trek through this stuff," Allman added.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Retail Marijuana License Fees In Pueblo Hit New High
Author: Laura Wilson
Contact: (719) 630-3930
Photo Credit: Andy Nelson
Website: KOAA 5
City council voted this week to up the annual licensing fee to $10,000, and $15,000 for the initial license fee.
Prior to that, both fees were $6,000.
"This is what we're saying it's costing us," said Pueblo City Council President Steve Nawrocki.
"If you want to open up a new operation in Pueblo--these are going to be the fees," he added.
But some people have already invested time and money into their marijuana businesses in Pueblo.
"It's not an asset I can just walk away from," said Allan Allman, who owns a marijuana-infused product manufacturing facility.
Allman is the most recent in a small group of business owners who have been given the green light to run their-marijuana related business within city limits.
"I came to the city expecting a $6,000 annual fee and now I see I'm not grandfathered in," he said.
Allman tells News5 he began his licensing process--as well as paying fees--last year, but was just cleared to start operating this month.
He says he never thought the annual licensing fee would double--just a year later.
And that's not including the annual state licensing fee, or the $5,000 annual conditional use permit Allman is paying for as well.
"You're talking 20,000 in starter fees. It's going to push a smaller entrepreneur like myself to go somewhere else--and I don't know if that's the expected outcome of it," he explained.
City Council President Steve Nawrocki says it's a fair price assessment when you consider the amount of time and resources city staff will be shifting over to the local retail marijuana industry.
"It's all based on what we felt after a least of at least a year of experience with manufacturing and growing, that there's a pretty high cost to staff time," said Nawrocki, who pointed out that a number of city departments have suffered from downsizing in recent years.
Pueblo's new licensing fees are significantly higher than other parts of the state, though.
Pueblo County, for example, charges a $6,000 annual fee for storefronts and MIP manufacturing facilities.
Cultivations cost $5,000, plus 50 cents per square foot for inside cultivations, and 25 cents per sq. foot for outside cultivations--capping out at $15,000.
In Denver and Manitou Springs, it's $5,000.
City council members have the option to change those fees in the future.
During discussion at Tuesday's meeting, they indicated they likely wouldn't revisit it until at least a year had passed.
Allman hopes him and other business owners won't take too big of a financial hit in that time.
"To me that's saying, 'well, we'll see if they're still in business, and if they're not then we'll drop it [the fees].'"
"Being a pioneer isn't fun when you're the one who has to trek through this stuff," Allman added.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Retail Marijuana License Fees In Pueblo Hit New High
Author: Laura Wilson
Contact: (719) 630-3930
Photo Credit: Andy Nelson
Website: KOAA 5
