DATE: December 8, 2020
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Development Services Director
SUBJECT
Commercial Cannabis Program Work Session: Review and Provide Feedback on Recommended Process and Policy Updates to the City's Commercial Cannabis Program
RECOMMENDATION
That the Council provides feedback and guidance on the proposed policy and process recommendations for updating the Regulatory and Land Use Ordinances for the Commercial Cannabis Program in the City of Hayward.
SUMMARY
During the past three years that Hayward's cannabis program has been operational, staff has identified several issues and inconsistencies with processes and local regulations that should be resolved before embarking on a new request for applicant proposals. During this same time, the State of California has promulgated several new laws and regulations related to cannabis as the broader industry has evolved. While the City's regulatory and land use ordinances were sufficient to accommodate the first round of applicants, the lack of resources coupled with a greater demand for operational processes and protocols have also presented challenges to the administration and management of the cannabis program in the City.
Over the past year, City staff and ICF have been working to identify new opportunities and recommendations to improve the current cannabis program to ensure long term success, including an evaluation of what has worked well and what could be improved, taking stock of changes in the broader industry and state regulatory system, and learning from effective and innovative practices from other jurisdictions.
The purpose of this work session is to obtain feedback on the recommendations being proposed to the City's cannabis licensing and permitting processes. If Council supports this approach, these changes will be codified in the revised Commercial Cannabis Ordinances with the aim of opening a new commercial cannabis application period in Spring 2021.
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