I support the MCA memo,
I am a MCA member and they do a very good job at representing local stakeholders in the cannabis community.
Without listening to stakeholders the current slow speed trainwreck of the local cannabis permitting process will continue to happen.
I am writing in regards to the County's closure of Bower Park, in Gualala; where our Coast Youth Little League operates. The closure of the park is detrimental to our program. We are a small community and our youth have very little options when it comes to sports and activity. The park is our home and where we hold all of our practices and games. We take care of the baseball diamond and surrounding area diligently to keep our program going strong; we take pride in it. The county has now closed the park and crippled our little league program for this season so please please approve the funding necessary to remove any of the hazardous trees that are still there and reopen the park. Let us get back on the baseball field! We have tons of volunteers ready and waiting to jump in and help with the jobs needing to be done. Please don't put this off... Our kids (everyone really) have been cooped up from covid closures and we are just finally starting to be able to get back to some regular life... Please make it a priority to get through the needs of Bower park now! We will do whatever we can to help!
I am writing in support of the MCA memo submitted to this board. As a small business owner, and member of MCA, I ask that their recommendations be adopted in order to streamline the multi-year process of cannabis permitting in Mendocino county. The business environment in the cannabis industry is already extremely challenging, so I ask that this board takes whatever steps are in its power to immediately address the many systemic problems with the regulatory process, hopefully helping to prevent the total collapse of the industry in our county.
Dear Board of Supervisors,
My name is Anna Foster. I assist local farms with administrative and compliance services.
I am providing support to a handful of farmers whose applications are slated for the second-round corrections portal.
These applicants also have state provisional license applications and/or renewals in process and under review with the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC). AG and DCC numbers in reference can be provided upon request.
All applicants have received the following DCC deficiency notification stating:
" DCC has reviewed the County's provisional list and as of right now this license is not eligible to renew as a provisional. Please work with the County to ensure you are in good standing and provide correspondence from the County confirming your status."
The county corrections portal closes April 28, 2022 and Mendocino Cannabis Program (MCP) has stated that it will not be reviewing any submitted applications until after the portal closes. I am doubtful 1 week allots enough time for MCP to review the applications and provide local authorization by the DCC’s deadline. I emailed MCP the deficiency notification looking for guidance on how to respond and what documents to provide to satisfy the DCC request before the May 6, 2022 deadline.
The response I received from Ms. Nevedal on 4/11/22 was:
“We will not be able to provide local authorization for applications that are incomplete. We can reach out to the state to see if they can provide applicants in this situation with an extension.”
I also contacted the DCC reviewers directly to request an extension of the deadline hoping it will grant enough time for the county to complete its review of applications. At this time, no such extension request has been granted to the applicants.
Copies of correspondences with MCP and DCC can be provided upon request.
Failure to provide local authorization to the DCC by the May 5, 2022 deadline will result in:
1. the applicant’s renewal (or application) being rejected/disqualified.
2. any paid renewal fee’s (or application fee’s) will be lost, up to the cost of $11,800 for one license holder. There is no refund for rejected/disqualified licenses.
3. severe financial impact.
4. another small farm out of business.
5. no opportunity in the near future to receive a provisional license. The deadline to apply for a provisional license was March 31,2022.
6. no opportunity to obtain a state annual license since provisional license holders only are eligible for the Appendix G pathway.
I am deeply concerned for my clients and all other applicants in the corrections portal (or applications under vegetation modification review as this vulnerability applies to them too).
MCP policy in the past has been to provide local authorization while county applications are under review. Those who applied for and maintained state provisional licenses already had county authorization but with the creation of the county portal were forced to re-enter and are now trapped in an agency limbo at risk of having state provisional renewals/applications denied.
Shouldn’t the county continue to provide local authorization to all applicants who HAVE NOT received an official denial or have an undetermined status? Local authorization is in fact being withheld without any official written denial.
What happens whenever the MCP reviews these applications and they ARE deemed complete? How will the farmer be compensated after all has been lost?
I urge you to PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE provide local authorization to all applicants in the county corrections portal (and under vegetation modification review) UNTIL the applications can be reviewed and status determined. There is TOO MUCH AT RISK!
Thank you for listening and caring. Your action is needed!
Welcome back to in person meetings. Please find a way to answer the MCA questions provided during public comment, if not today, ASAP. Please find ways to make the entire cannabis system more functional, including hiring more staff.
Sincerely, Laura & Marty Clein, Martyjuana™
Hello,
The speaker card form is not functioning, but I will be attending in person for my comment on Item 3 regarding the Proclamation Recognizing Volunteers. I am with North Coast Opportunities. Thank you!
MCA appreciates that cannabis issues are back on the County’s agenda. We take this opportunity to summarize in Public Expression several issues in critical need of your attention. MCA offers these comments in the spirit of both our past recommendations and your own notable and consistent directives to the MCD to support and expedite the processing of our locally permitted cultivators.
Local Authorization
We have recently heard reports that MCD is not providing local authorization to the State for permittees currently going through the portal process. If true, this practice jeopardizes the State licensing of our local operators, without which they can not engage in licensed cannabis activities, thus depriving them of any way to generate revenue with which to pay their taxes and fees to the County. Applicants going through the portal have been operating for years through uncertain and ever changing processes, and with all of the struggles in the market we must enable them every opportunity to remain in the licensed market lest we irreparably harm their ability to maintain their businesses. We recommend that the Board investigate this claim and if it is accurate, that you direct MCD to provide local authorization to the state for all locally authorized operators unless and until they have their application or permit actually denied by MCD.
Equity Grant Process
The Equity Grant Program is still riddled with challenges and confusion. We sincerely appreciate the efforts of the Ad Hoc to intervene, and suggest another meeting with stakeholders, the Ad Hoc, County Counsel and MCD. Here are specific recommendations that address some current problems with administration of the Equity Grants:
1. Provide specific direction to MCD to make all newly confirmed allowable direct grant uses accessible to current awardees and applicants through a Contract Modification process, rather than forcing them to wait until September when they must reapply for a new grant. The BoS already unanimously passed a resolution to increase these allowable uses but the rollout is not in line with that previous direction.
2. We recommend an audit of Elevate Impact, the contractor handling Equity Grant administration for the County, which has exhibited little to no practical effort in making this program a success. In fact, communications that many of our members have received indicate that the contractor has now ‘paused’ the work of staff processing applications, referring all questions to just one remaining staff person, the CEO of the company. Director Nevedal has seemingly indicated that she is unaware of this fact.
3. We request a report of how many equity grant checks have been successfully distributed. For some reason MCD has refused to share this information with the public.
Equity applicants must fill out a W9 form in order to receive direct grant funding. They must decide if they would like the check to be deposited into a business bank account or a personal bank account. The W9 must be filled out according to which type of bank account they will be depositing the funds into. If an applicant chooses to deposit into a personal bank account, it's imperative that their business name information is not disclosed on the check, otherwise due to banking issues, an applicant runs the risk of having their bank account shut down. It has come to our attention that an applicant received their funding with this error and are now awaiting response from the auditor to have this corrected - already resulting in additional weeks of delay in receiving the funds. We encourage MCD to carefully review applicant submissions of this kind to avoid these types of delays for other applicants in the future.
MCD Staffing
Despite numerous directions to the Department to staff up, and the allocation of significant portions of the LJAGP towards contractor and staff to support the efforts of the Department, attendees to the MCD Weekly Meeting on Friday were informed that MCD is currently under a ‘hiring ‘freeze’ and is not expecting to see any staffing relief until September at the earliest (Click: https://youtu.be/geoch_zEbzM?t=2178 for recording - starts at 36:19 in, and the Freeze is mentioned at 39:31). It is incredibly confusing and demoralizing to continue to hear that the Department is unable to perform its basic duties due to understaffing, and simultaneously hear that they are not engaging in any immediate steps that will lead to immediate hires. The staffing issue has literally existed since Director Nevedal joined the Program over a year ago, and every day it continues, is a day that jeopardizes the success of our entire community.
We have been told for months that processing both permit and equity applications and Appendix G’s will improve with the hiring of more staff and contractors. In the case of Equity operators, the current tranche of funds must be distributed by August 2022. If there are no new hires coming to help that process, and Elevate Impact has reduced its staffing, we do not see any way that 100+ grant applications will be reviewed, approved and paid out in our already extended window, which as we know could lead to the return of those undistributed funds to the State.
Vegetation Modification
We request a response to the letter submitted on February 28, 2022.
It is clear that additional supervision of the MCD would benefit both the County and the hundreds of operators who are doing everything they can to try and work through the system despite the constant confusion. We urge the Board and MCD to work directly with Stakeholders to dig into the challenges presented above. To continue with ‘business as usual’ will surely lead to additional negative outcomes not just for the permitted cannabis community, but Mendocino County as a whole.
Thank you for your consideration of these important items. We remain available to work with you to improve conditions on the ground for the County and locally authorized operators.
Dear Supervisors
I support the MCA memo,
I am a MCA member and they do a very good job at representing local stakeholders in the cannabis community.
Without listening to stakeholders the current slow speed trainwreck of the local cannabis permitting process will continue to happen.
Thanks
Matt Maguire
I am writing in regards to the County's closure of Bower Park, in Gualala; where our Coast Youth Little League operates. The closure of the park is detrimental to our program. We are a small community and our youth have very little options when it comes to sports and activity. The park is our home and where we hold all of our practices and games. We take care of the baseball diamond and surrounding area diligently to keep our program going strong; we take pride in it. The county has now closed the park and crippled our little league program for this season so please please approve the funding necessary to remove any of the hazardous trees that are still there and reopen the park. Let us get back on the baseball field! We have tons of volunteers ready and waiting to jump in and help with the jobs needing to be done. Please don't put this off... Our kids (everyone really) have been cooped up from covid closures and we are just finally starting to be able to get back to some regular life... Please make it a priority to get through the needs of Bower park now! We will do whatever we can to help!
I oppose the proposed change of zoning from residential to commercial for cannibus cultivation.
Dear Supervisors,
I am writing in support of the MCA memo submitted to this board. As a small business owner, and member of MCA, I ask that their recommendations be adopted in order to streamline the multi-year process of cannabis permitting in Mendocino county. The business environment in the cannabis industry is already extremely challenging, so I ask that this board takes whatever steps are in its power to immediately address the many systemic problems with the regulatory process, hopefully helping to prevent the total collapse of the industry in our county.
Dear Board of Supervisors,
My name is Anna Foster. I assist local farms with administrative and compliance services.
I am providing support to a handful of farmers whose applications are slated for the second-round corrections portal.
These applicants also have state provisional license applications and/or renewals in process and under review with the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC). AG and DCC numbers in reference can be provided upon request.
All applicants have received the following DCC deficiency notification stating:
" DCC has reviewed the County's provisional list and as of right now this license is not eligible to renew as a provisional. Please work with the County to ensure you are in good standing and provide correspondence from the County confirming your status."
The county corrections portal closes April 28, 2022 and Mendocino Cannabis Program (MCP) has stated that it will not be reviewing any submitted applications until after the portal closes. I am doubtful 1 week allots enough time for MCP to review the applications and provide local authorization by the DCC’s deadline. I emailed MCP the deficiency notification looking for guidance on how to respond and what documents to provide to satisfy the DCC request before the May 6, 2022 deadline.
The response I received from Ms. Nevedal on 4/11/22 was:
“We will not be able to provide local authorization for applications that are incomplete. We can reach out to the state to see if they can provide applicants in this situation with an extension.”
I also contacted the DCC reviewers directly to request an extension of the deadline hoping it will grant enough time for the county to complete its review of applications. At this time, no such extension request has been granted to the applicants.
Copies of correspondences with MCP and DCC can be provided upon request.
Failure to provide local authorization to the DCC by the May 5, 2022 deadline will result in:
1. the applicant’s renewal (or application) being rejected/disqualified.
2. any paid renewal fee’s (or application fee’s) will be lost, up to the cost of $11,800 for one license holder. There is no refund for rejected/disqualified licenses.
3. severe financial impact.
4. another small farm out of business.
5. no opportunity in the near future to receive a provisional license. The deadline to apply for a provisional license was March 31,2022.
6. no opportunity to obtain a state annual license since provisional license holders only are eligible for the Appendix G pathway.
I am deeply concerned for my clients and all other applicants in the corrections portal (or applications under vegetation modification review as this vulnerability applies to them too).
MCP policy in the past has been to provide local authorization while county applications are under review. Those who applied for and maintained state provisional licenses already had county authorization but with the creation of the county portal were forced to re-enter and are now trapped in an agency limbo at risk of having state provisional renewals/applications denied.
Shouldn’t the county continue to provide local authorization to all applicants who HAVE NOT received an official denial or have an undetermined status? Local authorization is in fact being withheld without any official written denial.
What happens whenever the MCP reviews these applications and they ARE deemed complete? How will the farmer be compensated after all has been lost?
I urge you to PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE provide local authorization to all applicants in the county corrections portal (and under vegetation modification review) UNTIL the applications can be reviewed and status determined. There is TOO MUCH AT RISK!
Thank you for listening and caring. Your action is needed!
Sincerely best,
Anna Foster
Welcome back to in person meetings. Please find a way to answer the MCA questions provided during public comment, if not today, ASAP. Please find ways to make the entire cannabis system more functional, including hiring more staff.
Sincerely, Laura & Marty Clein, Martyjuana™
I'm opposed to cannibis growing in our residental zone, please allow the sunset provision take effect
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Hello,
The speaker card form is not functioning, but I will be attending in person for my comment on Item 3 regarding the Proclamation Recognizing Volunteers. I am with North Coast Opportunities. Thank you!
Honorable Supervisors:
MCA appreciates that cannabis issues are back on the County’s agenda. We take this opportunity to summarize in Public Expression several issues in critical need of your attention. MCA offers these comments in the spirit of both our past recommendations and your own notable and consistent directives to the MCD to support and expedite the processing of our locally permitted cultivators.
Local Authorization
We have recently heard reports that MCD is not providing local authorization to the State for permittees currently going through the portal process. If true, this practice jeopardizes the State licensing of our local operators, without which they can not engage in licensed cannabis activities, thus depriving them of any way to generate revenue with which to pay their taxes and fees to the County. Applicants going through the portal have been operating for years through uncertain and ever changing processes, and with all of the struggles in the market we must enable them every opportunity to remain in the licensed market lest we irreparably harm their ability to maintain their businesses. We recommend that the Board investigate this claim and if it is accurate, that you direct MCD to provide local authorization to the state for all locally authorized operators unless and until they have their application or permit actually denied by MCD.
Equity Grant Process
The Equity Grant Program is still riddled with challenges and confusion. We sincerely appreciate the efforts of the Ad Hoc to intervene, and suggest another meeting with stakeholders, the Ad Hoc, County Counsel and MCD. Here are specific recommendations that address some current problems with administration of the Equity Grants:
1. Provide specific direction to MCD to make all newly confirmed allowable direct grant uses accessible to current awardees and applicants through a Contract Modification process, rather than forcing them to wait until September when they must reapply for a new grant. The BoS already unanimously passed a resolution to increase these allowable uses but the rollout is not in line with that previous direction.
2. We recommend an audit of Elevate Impact, the contractor handling Equity Grant administration for the County, which has exhibited little to no practical effort in making this program a success. In fact, communications that many of our members have received indicate that the contractor has now ‘paused’ the work of staff processing applications, referring all questions to just one remaining staff person, the CEO of the company. Director Nevedal has seemingly indicated that she is unaware of this fact.
3. We request a report of how many equity grant checks have been successfully distributed. For some reason MCD has refused to share this information with the public.
Equity applicants must fill out a W9 form in order to receive direct grant funding. They must decide if they would like the check to be deposited into a business bank account or a personal bank account. The W9 must be filled out according to which type of bank account they will be depositing the funds into. If an applicant chooses to deposit into a personal bank account, it's imperative that their business name information is not disclosed on the check, otherwise due to banking issues, an applicant runs the risk of having their bank account shut down. It has come to our attention that an applicant received their funding with this error and are now awaiting response from the auditor to have this corrected - already resulting in additional weeks of delay in receiving the funds. We encourage MCD to carefully review applicant submissions of this kind to avoid these types of delays for other applicants in the future.
MCD Staffing
Despite numerous directions to the Department to staff up, and the allocation of significant portions of the LJAGP towards contractor and staff to support the efforts of the Department, attendees to the MCD Weekly Meeting on Friday were informed that MCD is currently under a ‘hiring ‘freeze’ and is not expecting to see any staffing relief until September at the earliest (Click: https://youtu.be/geoch_zEbzM?t=2178 for recording - starts at 36:19 in, and the Freeze is mentioned at 39:31). It is incredibly confusing and demoralizing to continue to hear that the Department is unable to perform its basic duties due to understaffing, and simultaneously hear that they are not engaging in any immediate steps that will lead to immediate hires. The staffing issue has literally existed since Director Nevedal joined the Program over a year ago, and every day it continues, is a day that jeopardizes the success of our entire community.
We have been told for months that processing both permit and equity applications and Appendix G’s will improve with the hiring of more staff and contractors. In the case of Equity operators, the current tranche of funds must be distributed by August 2022. If there are no new hires coming to help that process, and Elevate Impact has reduced its staffing, we do not see any way that 100+ grant applications will be reviewed, approved and paid out in our already extended window, which as we know could lead to the return of those undistributed funds to the State.
Vegetation Modification
We request a response to the letter submitted on February 28, 2022.
It is clear that additional supervision of the MCD would benefit both the County and the hundreds of operators who are doing everything they can to try and work through the system despite the constant confusion. We urge the Board and MCD to work directly with Stakeholders to dig into the challenges presented above. To continue with ‘business as usual’ will surely lead to additional negative outcomes not just for the permitted cannabis community, but Mendocino County as a whole.
Thank you for your consideration of these important items. We remain available to work with you to improve conditions on the ground for the County and locally authorized operators.
Sincerely,
Mendocino Cannabis Alliance
e: info@mendocannabis.com