Santa Barbara County prepares to shut door on authorized nonconforming hashish | Authorities and Politics

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Santa Barbara County is getting ready to shut the door to authorized nonconforming hashish cultivators who haven’t obtained enterprise licenses and to remove processing services from calculation of the acreage cap on cultivation.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday authorized 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 stated she voted no on the whole bundle of amendments as a result of the county doesn’t have any necessities for odor management on processing, which have to be completed in an enclosed constructing.

Planning and Improvement Division Director Lisa Plowman stated the county does have some management of odor via the land use allow course of, however Hartmann was involved about odor impacts if processing services open up close to residential areas.

“For me, this can be a no-go until this will get modified,” Hartmann stated 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 authorized a second time, they may turn into efficient 30 days later.

County workers had beneficial 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 via the method of acquiring a enterprise license till Dec. 31, but when they hadn’t had a license authorized by that point, they might be compelled to close down completely and fall off the eligibility record.

The aim was to inspire enterprise license candidates who’ve been dragging their toes, basically stopping extra motivated operators from transferring into the acreage cap.

“We do have operators on the ready record, and extra are coming every single day,” stated Brittany Heaton, the county’s principal hashish analyst.

She stated about 15 operators representing 222 acres can be affected by the ultimatum, and workers estimated possibly two-thirds of these would get hold of licenses by the deadline.

Heaton stated some operators have been working exhausting 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 depart, they fearful concerning the deadline being set so shut, when vegetation would already be within the floor, and the affect it might have on tax revenues.

“I completely agree with you. By June 30, if you happen to’re not permitted, you’ve acquired to close down,” fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino instructed the workers, including he was involved about those that are attempting to get via a sophisticated system the county created.

“Whereas we’re motivating them, we’re damaging ourselves on the identical time,” he stated. “So there’s some issues we now have to weigh on this. I imply, 122 acres, 15 operators, in the event that they stop in June, we now have to take a look at how that impacts us, as properly.”

First District Supervisor Das Williams stated 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 affect on the county’s coffers.

“This isn’t about sidestepping the cap, as some individuals have urged,” he stated. “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 stated.

Lavagnino first beneficial delaying the deadline to Sept. 30, then famous that may be in the midst of harvest and urged Oct. 31 as an alternative. Williams stated he may stay with that if the ultimate deadline remained Dec. 31.



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