Among the items discussed at Monday’s Crescent City Council meeting:
Measure S Oversight Committee: Crescent City’s newest city councilor objected to volunteer firefighter Dana Reno’s continued appointment to the Measure S Oversight Committee.
Steve Shamblin, who had been on the oversight committee before he was appointed to the City Council, said he felt it was a conflict of interest for Reno to be involved in both the committee and Crescent City Fire and Rescue. The oversight committee is tasked with ensuring Measure S tax revenue is spent appropriately, which includes partially funding Crescent City Fire and Rescue — a concern Shamblin raised on Monday.
His colleagues disagreed with him, however, and voted 4-1 in favor of appointing Reno, Crescent City Planning Commissioner Shawna Hyatt and Ernest Perry to the oversight committee. Shamblin dissented.
City Attorney Martha Rice pointed out that volunteer firefighters have served on the City Council and other committees multiple times and saw no legal conflict in Reno continuing to be on the Measure S Oversight Committee. If the committee discussed a topic that would financially impact him, Reno would need to recuse himself, she said. But the Measure S committee doesn’t make final budget decisions, Rice said.
Commercial cannabis regs updated: Councilor Jason Greenough reiterated his belief that the local commercial cannabis market was regulating itself, though he went along with his colleagues in supporting updates to Crescent City’s ordinance.
Originally adopted on April 6, 2020, the updated ordinance limits the number of storefront commercial cannabis retailers to five and disallows future indoor cultivation operations. There are currently five retailers and one indoor cultivation operation within city limits, according to City Attorney Martha Rice.
The updated ordinance requires commercial cannabis permit holders to maintain a safe environment, pay all applicable license and permit fees and maintain a $15,000 surety bond during the life of the business.
The updated ordinance also requires a commercial cannabis permit holder open their doors within 24 months of receiving the permit. If a commercial cannabis permit holder closes their doors for 60 or more consecutive days, they shall be deemed to have surrendered their permit. The updated ordinance also provides the Planning Commission with enforcement options if a business owner isn’t complying with the regulations.
On Monday, Greenough said that limiting the number of retailers to the five that are already in place eliminates any competition that might take place.
“Nobody else can come in and say, ‘I want to do it better,’” he said. “Those people can sit back on their laurels and give the people a second rate service or good, potentially. I don’t think that strives for the betterment of whatever is being sold.”
Monday was the commercial cannabis ordinance’s third and final vote. The new regulations will take effect in 30 days.
Committee appointments: Councilors confirmed their appointment to the commissions and committees they sit on. This included adopting a resolution for Mayor Pro Tem Candace Tinkler to continue sitting on the Border Coast Regional Airport Authority Board of Directors.
“I find it very important work and, having been on it a year, I feel I’m hitting my stride of understanding more than I ever thought I would about runways,” Tinkler told her colleagues. “I feel it’s important for our city to be really proactive in our support for the airport.”
City Council members participate in several local boards, including the Del Norte Local Transportation Commission — whose members include Ray Altman, Jason Greenough and Steve Shamblin — and the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority whose members include Isaiah Wright and Jason Greenough.
