Santa Barbara County is making ready to shut the door to authorized nonconforming hashish cultivators who haven’t obtained enterprise licenses and to remove processing amenities from calculation of the acreage cap on cultivation.
The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday permitted a number of amendments to County Code Chapter 50, which regulates hashish enterprise licensing, on a 3-1-1 vote, with Board Chair and third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann dissenting and 4th District Supervisor Bob Nelson absent.
Hartmann mentioned she voted no on the complete bundle of amendments as a result of the county doesn’t have any necessities for odor management on processing, which have to be carried out in an enclosed constructing.
Planning and Improvement Division Director Lisa Plowman mentioned the county does have some management of odor by way of the land use allow course of, however Hartmann was involved about odor impacts if processing amenities open up close to residential areas.
“For me, it is a no-go except this will get modified,” Hartmann mentioned emphatically.
The amendments, which additionally make clear and additional regulate modifications in possession for cultivation operations, will return to the board for adoption as a part of the executive agenda on the March 1 assembly.
If permitted a second time, they are going to develop into efficient 30 days later.
County employees had advisable setting a deadline of June 30 for authorized nonconforming hashish cultivators with land use permits to acquire a enterprise license or stop cultivation.
Operators can be allowed to proceed by way of the method of acquiring a enterprise license till Dec. 31, but when they hadn’t had a license permitted by that point, they might be compelled to close down completely and fall off the eligibility checklist.
The objective was to inspire enterprise license candidates who’ve been dragging their toes, primarily stopping extra motivated operators from transferring into the acreage cap.
“We do have operators on the ready checklist, and extra are coming on daily basis,” mentioned Brittany Heaton, the county’s principal hashish analyst.
She mentioned about 15 operators representing 222 acres can be affected by the ultimatum, and employees estimated perhaps two-thirds of these would get hold of licenses by the deadline.
Heaton mentioned some operators have been working arduous on acquiring enterprise licenses, however some had been held up by issues past their management, like ready on Pacific Fuel and Electrical Co. to supply electrical service.
Whereas supervisors agreed that operators who’re dragging their toes must both get hold of licenses or go away, they fearful in regards to the deadline being set so shut, when vegetation would already be within the floor, and the influence it could have on tax revenues.
“I completely agree with you. By June 30, if you happen to’re not permitted, you’ve received to close down,” fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino informed the employees, including he was involved about those that are attempting to get by way of a sophisticated system the county created.
“Whereas we’re motivating them, we’re damaging ourselves on the identical time,” he mentioned. “So there’s some issues we’ve got to weigh on this. I imply, 122 acres, 15 operators, in the event that they stop in June, we’ve got to take a look at how that impacts us, as effectively.”
First District Supervisor Das Williams mentioned an earlier deadline can be higher than a later one, including that the variety of acres concerned is small, however he additionally thought of the influence on the county’s coffers.
“This isn’t about sidestepping the cap, as some individuals have prompt,” he mentioned. “That is about income to the county.”
Hartmann additionally favored a shorter deadline.
“There’s been an extended alternative for them to conform, and so they’ve been profiting within the meantime,” she mentioned.
Lavagnino first advisable delaying the deadline to Sept. 30, then famous that may be in the midst of harvest and prompt Oct. 31 as an alternative. Williams mentioned he might stay with that if the ultimate deadline remained Dec. 31.