Urgent: Demand BOS to fund Phase 2 of Cannabis Ordinance revision

Urgent: Demand BOS to fund Phase 2 of Cannabis Ordinance revision

Time for action – what you can do this month

People are always asking “What can we do to reign in the cannabis industry?” Here is an opportunity to help move forward with much needed cannabis regulatory amendments to address neighborhood and environmental issues. Your voice can make the difference in whether we get much needed relief, or the status quo continues for another two years. In April the Supervisors will be deciding whether to fund and appropriate staff time to add neighborhood and environmental protections to the ordinance as they develop the two year “work plan” for 2019 and 2020.Comprehensive Planning supervisor Jane Riley presented a draft 2 year plan to the Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Adjustments February 28 which will be discussed by the Board of Supervisors and voted on in April.

It is critically important that this plan contain funding and staff time for cannabis amendment work – phase 2. If phase 2 is not on the work plan THERE WILL BE NO PHASE 2 for the next two years at least.. We will get nothing for the next two years. Every constituency will be advocating for their pet issue to be fast-tracked and/or added. If we don’t send letters NOW asking for Phase 2 to be made a priority in the 2019-2020 work plan, the details of what we want in Phase 2 won’t matter because there will be no Phase 2.

If we are to have any hope of making any changes at all, it is critically important that we email the Supervisors and their Aides and copy Jane Riley AICP who is the planner working on the comprehensive work plan. She will develop the plan based on what the Supervisors ask for. Their email addresses are below. (Don’t forget to send to each Supervisor separately. Can be the same message).

Send your letters NOW, because the work plan will be presented to them in April. Once the vote takes place to formally include Phase 2 in the work plan, we can then focus on the details of what we want included.

Finally, when the work plan comes up for a vote (and we don’t have the April date yet), we will need folks to appear at the hearing in a show of support for the ordinance revision. Even if you do not wish to speak, your presence there will matter. We will send out an alert to appear as soon as the date of the hearing is announced.

1. James.Gore@sonoma-county.org    District4@sonoma-county.org   Stuart.Tiffin@sonoma-county.org

2. Lynda.Hopkins@sonoma-county.org   Susan.Upchurch@sonoma-county.org

3. Susan.Gorin@sonoma-county.org  Pat.Gilardi@sonoma-county.org

4. Shirlee.Zane@sonoma-county.org  Michelle.Whitman@sonoma-county.org

5. David.Rabbitt@sonoma-county.org  Andrea.Krout@sonoma-county.org

6. Jane.Riley@sonoma-county.org   

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