Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
City Council finally crossed the finish line Tuesday in its long march to licensing recreational marijuana stores – adopting rules and regulations that allow only eight stores in the city, along with zones where they can operate and fees they will pay.
Council has started and stalled for several years – including letting city voters make the final decision last month – before adopting licensing rules for recreational pot stores.
Council voted unanimously to adopt the licensing ordinance Tuesday, although members did disagree over some of the details.
The city's licensing board intends to start taking applications in January and award the initial licenses in March.
Retail store owners will pay an annual fee of $15,000 and council limited the number of stores to four north of the Arkansas River and four south.
There was some discussion of eliminating the need to divide the eight stores by the river, but District 4 Councilman Ray Aguilera said he was concerned all the stores could end up in the Bessemer area – so council kept to the river boundary.
Council did expand the possible locations for retail stores by adding the B-3 business zones to the other acceptable locations. That added some property to the possible locations while still meeting the city's requirements for buffer zones – meaning no stores within 300 feet of residences, 500 feet of substance abuse centers or 1,000 feet of a school.
David Lemon, a longtime marijuana advocate, told council the reality was that with the state buffering distances, most of the city was "blacked out" for retail stores.
Other business owners objected to the city's requirement that all applicants have at least $200,000 in financial assets.
"They can't do business with banks, so you're asking them to show you a duffel bag of money they would have to keep in a safe," Lemon said.
Council agreed and struck that requirement.
Council also agreed to let the three medical marijuana stores in the city have extra points when applying for a recreational store licenses as well.
Council also found itself considering resolutions to increase the fees the city is charging wholesale recreational marijuana businesses. For example, it voted 4-3 to raise the initial license fee for growers from $5,000 to $15,000 – an increase several one grower called stunning.
Members Chris Nicoll, Lori Winner and Larry Atencio voted against the increase.
City Attorney Dan Kogovsek said city staff time is increasingly consumed by queries and paperwork from marijuana businesses and the fee increases would help pay that cost.
Council did lower the annual renewal fee to $10,000 for those businesses.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: It's Official - City Council Clears Way For 8 Pueblo Pot Stores
Author: Peter Roper
Contact: (719) 544-3520
Photo Credit: Chris McLean
Website: The Pueblo Chieftain
Council has started and stalled for several years – including letting city voters make the final decision last month – before adopting licensing rules for recreational pot stores.
Council voted unanimously to adopt the licensing ordinance Tuesday, although members did disagree over some of the details.
The city's licensing board intends to start taking applications in January and award the initial licenses in March.
Retail store owners will pay an annual fee of $15,000 and council limited the number of stores to four north of the Arkansas River and four south.
There was some discussion of eliminating the need to divide the eight stores by the river, but District 4 Councilman Ray Aguilera said he was concerned all the stores could end up in the Bessemer area – so council kept to the river boundary.
Council did expand the possible locations for retail stores by adding the B-3 business zones to the other acceptable locations. That added some property to the possible locations while still meeting the city's requirements for buffer zones – meaning no stores within 300 feet of residences, 500 feet of substance abuse centers or 1,000 feet of a school.
David Lemon, a longtime marijuana advocate, told council the reality was that with the state buffering distances, most of the city was "blacked out" for retail stores.
Other business owners objected to the city's requirement that all applicants have at least $200,000 in financial assets.
"They can't do business with banks, so you're asking them to show you a duffel bag of money they would have to keep in a safe," Lemon said.
Council agreed and struck that requirement.
Council also agreed to let the three medical marijuana stores in the city have extra points when applying for a recreational store licenses as well.
Council also found itself considering resolutions to increase the fees the city is charging wholesale recreational marijuana businesses. For example, it voted 4-3 to raise the initial license fee for growers from $5,000 to $15,000 – an increase several one grower called stunning.
Members Chris Nicoll, Lori Winner and Larry Atencio voted against the increase.
City Attorney Dan Kogovsek said city staff time is increasingly consumed by queries and paperwork from marijuana businesses and the fee increases would help pay that cost.
Council did lower the annual renewal fee to $10,000 for those businesses.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: It's Official - City Council Clears Way For 8 Pueblo Pot Stores
Author: Peter Roper
Contact: (719) 544-3520
Photo Credit: Chris McLean
Website: The Pueblo Chieftain
