Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Marijuana will be back on the agenda for the Lompoc City Council on Tuesday, as the governing board is expected to hash out the parameters it would like to see implemented in a new city policy.
The cannabis discussion is slated to be followed by another high-interest topic: continued deliberation of the city's 2017-19 biennial budget, which has been the center of several rounds of debate since an initial draft was presented on May 2.
The examination of a marijuana policy will occur just six weeks after Councilwoman Jenelle Osborne, who teamed with Councilman Victor Vega to form an ad hoc committee tasked with exploring marijuana issues in the city, made a presentation at the June 20 council meeting and recommended that the city craft and adopt an ordinance that encompasses all aspects of marijuana business, cultivation and use with "minimum oversight."
On Tuesday, city staff will look for specific direction and guidelines regarding the development or amendment of local laws governing personal marijuana cultivation, commercial operations (for both medicinal and recreational) and tax and/or fee schedules related to marijuana commerce.
At the direction of the ad hoc committee, city administrators included in their staff report some relevant laws and fee structures that have been adopted or are being considered in other cities.
While the staff report is mostly for background and comparison, the document does provide some early estimates of what kind of returns the city could see from marijuana taxation, which would need to be approved by Lompoc voters. Tax structures could be placed on the ballot as soon as 2018.
By averaging the tax revenue generated by seven other California communities, with consideration given to population size, the city of Lompoc could see an estimated $400,000 to $500,000 of additional tax revenue annually, according to city staff.
That additional revenue could total between $100,000 and $125,000 for the upcoming 2017-19 budget cycle, according to the city staff report, which also included preliminary estimates for how much eligible cities could be expecting to receive from the state's marijuana revenue stream.
Several speakers have addressed the council to express opinions both for and against loosening marijuana regulations in the city since the passage of Proposition 64, known as the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, in the November 2016 election. Prop 64 essentially legalized recreational marijuana use in the state, but cities and counties are still able to enact local controls.
The issue kicked into high gear in Lompoc on Dec. 20, 2016, when city leaders proposed an ordinance, which was backed by the Lompoc Police and Fire chiefs, that many residents, including the majority of the council members, believed was overly restrictive. It was after voting down that proposal that the council decided to form the ad hoc committee to investigate the subject further.
The ad hoc committee held four meetings between January and May.
Following the marijuana review, the council is scheduled to continue its budget dialogue, which will enter its fourth month.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Lompoc council to focus on marijuana, budget at Tuesday meeting | Local News | lompocrecord.com
Author: Willis Jacobson
Contact: LompocRecord.com | Contacts
Photo Credit: Willis Jacobson
Website: lompocrecord.com | Online gateway to the city of murals in the Valley of Flowers
The cannabis discussion is slated to be followed by another high-interest topic: continued deliberation of the city's 2017-19 biennial budget, which has been the center of several rounds of debate since an initial draft was presented on May 2.
The examination of a marijuana policy will occur just six weeks after Councilwoman Jenelle Osborne, who teamed with Councilman Victor Vega to form an ad hoc committee tasked with exploring marijuana issues in the city, made a presentation at the June 20 council meeting and recommended that the city craft and adopt an ordinance that encompasses all aspects of marijuana business, cultivation and use with "minimum oversight."
On Tuesday, city staff will look for specific direction and guidelines regarding the development or amendment of local laws governing personal marijuana cultivation, commercial operations (for both medicinal and recreational) and tax and/or fee schedules related to marijuana commerce.
At the direction of the ad hoc committee, city administrators included in their staff report some relevant laws and fee structures that have been adopted or are being considered in other cities.
While the staff report is mostly for background and comparison, the document does provide some early estimates of what kind of returns the city could see from marijuana taxation, which would need to be approved by Lompoc voters. Tax structures could be placed on the ballot as soon as 2018.
By averaging the tax revenue generated by seven other California communities, with consideration given to population size, the city of Lompoc could see an estimated $400,000 to $500,000 of additional tax revenue annually, according to city staff.
That additional revenue could total between $100,000 and $125,000 for the upcoming 2017-19 budget cycle, according to the city staff report, which also included preliminary estimates for how much eligible cities could be expecting to receive from the state's marijuana revenue stream.
Several speakers have addressed the council to express opinions both for and against loosening marijuana regulations in the city since the passage of Proposition 64, known as the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, in the November 2016 election. Prop 64 essentially legalized recreational marijuana use in the state, but cities and counties are still able to enact local controls.
The issue kicked into high gear in Lompoc on Dec. 20, 2016, when city leaders proposed an ordinance, which was backed by the Lompoc Police and Fire chiefs, that many residents, including the majority of the council members, believed was overly restrictive. It was after voting down that proposal that the council decided to form the ad hoc committee to investigate the subject further.
The ad hoc committee held four meetings between January and May.
Following the marijuana review, the council is scheduled to continue its budget dialogue, which will enter its fourth month.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Lompoc council to focus on marijuana, budget at Tuesday meeting | Local News | lompocrecord.com
Author: Willis Jacobson
Contact: LompocRecord.com | Contacts
Photo Credit: Willis Jacobson
Website: lompocrecord.com | Online gateway to the city of murals in the Valley of Flowers
