County of El Dorado - File #: 23-1501

• File #: 23-1501
• Version: 1
• Type: Agenda Item
• Status: Approved
• File created: 7/31/2023
• In control: Board of Supervisors
• On agenda: 9/12/2023
• Final action: 9/12/2023
• Title: County Counsel and the Planning and Building Department, Commercial Cannabis Division, recommending the Board: 1) Provide direction on changes to the County's existing cannabis ordinances; and 2) If changes are supported, direct staff to return to the Board with a Resolution of Intent reflecting the Board's guidance to start the ordinance amendment process. FUNDING: General Fund.
• Related files: 23-1032, 24-0274, 24-0175, 23-1817, 24-1077

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
9/12/2023	1	Board of Supervisors	Approved

Title
County Counsel and the Planning and Building Department, Commercial Cannabis Division, recommending the Board:
1) Provide direction on changes to the County's existing cannabis ordinances; and
2) If changes are supported, direct staff to return to the Board with a Resolution of Intent reflecting the Board's guidance to start the ordinance amendment process.

FUNDING: General Fund.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The purpose of this report is to provide information and background for this cannabis public study session. The study session is a result of the litigation in El Dorado County Growers Advocacy Alliance v. El Dorado County Board of Supervisors, et al. In November of 2021 petitioners filed an action challenging the County's implementation of its commercial cannabis program. The case has now been resolved and as part of that process the Board of Supervisors directed the Planning Commission to hold a public study session to identify issues related to implementation and functionality of the County’s cannabis regulations. The Planning Commission held the study session during their July 13, 2023 meeting (Legistar Item 23-1032), and as directed, provides this report with recommendations regarding potential changes to County cannabis regulations. The study session is an opportunity for the former petitioners, the cannabis industry, public, and other County departments and agencies to give input on the current cannabis regulations. The Board may determine if changes to the ordinances are warranted, and if so, provide further direction to staff to pursue changes through the ordinance amendment process. If so directed, the cannabis ordinance would return to the Planning Commission for specific text revisions based on that direction and then back to The Board for final adoption.

The County Counsel memorandum dated July 31, 2023 (Attachment A) focuses on the policy themes distilled from the Planning Commission study sessions. These policy themes, along with the...