220 East Mountain View
Barstow, California 92311-2888
(760) 256-3531 City of Barstow
City Council Policy Memorandum
To: City Manager
From: City Council
CC: City Attorney
Date Adopted: May 6, 2025
Date Revised: October 21, 2025
Subject: City Council Policy Memorandum #2025-20/Cannabis Community Benefit Program Policy
INTRODUCTION
The City of Barstow understands the importance of providing services that benefit the community and its members. As part of establishing the City's Commercial Cannabis Program, the City will receive annual Community Benefit Funds from licensed Commercial Cannabis businesses. The City Council wishes to allocate Community Benefit Funds received from Commercial Cannabis businesses in the following manner:
City Projects – Up to 80% of Funds Received in Prior Fiscal Year(s) City-Sponsored Community Events – Up to 15% of Funds Received in Prior Fiscal Year(s)
Repairs, Maintenance, and/or Upgrades – Up to 5% of Funds Received in Prior Fiscal Year(s)
Or as otherwise directed by the City Council, per the recommendation of the City Manager.
POLICY
ELIGIBLE USE OF COMMUNITY BENEFIT FUNDS
The City shall retain 80% of Community Benefit Funds received from Commercial Cannabis businesses each year to fund City Projects, and 15% for city-sponsored community events which benefit the Barstow community as a whole. A 5% allocation each year will be set aside for ongoing maintenance and repairs of improvements/infrastructure that were funded by Community Benefit funds in previous fiscal years.
DEFINITIONS
City Manager: City Manager or their designee.Community Benefit Committee:
A committee consisting of two (2) City staff members, designated by the City Manager, one (1) cannabis business owner, and one (1) city resident, both designated by the City Council following the Community Benefit Program committee selection process. Members of the Community Benefit Committee can serve on the Committee for a period of no more than two (2) consecutive fiscal years.
City Projects: New equipment or structures or restoration of existing public facilities [Example: city roads, sidewalks, infrastructure, parks, city-owned buildings including, but not limited to, the Cora Harper Fitness Center, Dana Park Building, Al Vigil Swim Center, Henderson Pool, Robert Sessions Sports Park, and Harvey House].
City-Sponsored Events: Events organized, sponsored, and permitted, in whole or in part, by the City or any department of the City. Events sponsored using Community Benefit Program funds cannot be funded by other City funds (e.g.
General Fund, Measure Q, etc.) and events must be in addition to already existing events (e.g. Holiday Tree Lighting, 4th of July Celebration, etc.). Repairs, Maintenance and/or Upgrades apply to equipment or structures which were purchased or paid for using Community Benefit Program funds.
APPOINTMENT OF CANNABIS BUSINESS OWNER TO THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT
COMMITTEE
Cannabis business owner participation is based upon submittal of an application for the Community Benefit Committee. Applications will be submitted to the City Manager's office and final appointment will be made by the City Council. Notification of a vacancy for the cannabis owner position on the Community Benefit Committee will be mailed out to all cannabis owners of record no later than March of the year in which the incumbent cannabis owner appointment will expire. The notification to cannabis business owners will be mailed out via U.S. mail and will identify the corresponding timeline in which to apply.
Upon completion of the designated timeline, the City Manager, or their designee, shall prepare a City Council agenda item that will recommend appointment of a commercial cannabis business owner to the Community Benefit Committee for a two (2) year period.
This process will also be used to fill the inaugural committee position, as well as should an unexpected vacancy occur. Should there be a lack of interested cannabis business owners, the City Council may appoint the incumbent cannabis business owner to a term of greater than two (2) years.
In the event that no applications are received, the City Council may appoint a cannabis business owner based on a vote of the majority of the City Council.
APPOINTMENT OF CITY RESIDENT TO THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT COMMITTEE City resident participation is based upon submittal of an application for the Community Benefit Committee. Applications will be submitted to the City Manager's office and final appointment will be made by the City Council. The City shall solicit a vacancy for the city resident position on the Community Benefit Committee no later than March of the year in which the incumbent city resident appointment will expire. Application to the Community Benefit Committee is limited to individuals who reside within the Barstow city limits.
Solicitation of the city resident position will occur on the City's social media accounts, on Channel 6, and through announcements made at regularly scheduled City Council meetings and shall identify the timeline in which applications will be accepted. Upon completion of the designated timeline, the City Manager, or their designee, shall prepare a City Council agenda item that will recommend appointment of a city resident to the Community Benefit Committee for a two (2) year period. This process will also be used to fill the inaugural committee position, as well as should an unexpected vacancy occur.
Should there be a lack of interested city residents, the City Council may appoint the incumbent city resident to a term of greater than two (2) years.
In the event that no applications are received, the City Council may appoint a city resident based on a vote of the majority of the City Council.
FUNDING PROCEDURES
The objective of expenditures of Community Benefit funds is to enhance the quality of life to the Barstow community. Final community benefit funding decisions are made solely by the City Council, in its absolute discretion and will be made each fiscal year, in conjunction with the City's budget cycle.
In August of each fiscal year, following the City's budget adoption cycle, the Community Benefit Committee City Council Manager will establish a listing of up to five (5) eligible city projects, up to three (3) city-sponsored events, and a listing of necessary repairs, maintenance, and/or upgrades to equipment, infrastructure, and/or improvements that were funded using Community Benefit Program funds in previous fiscal year(s)’s .
The listing of proposed city projects, city-sponsored events, and repairs, maintenance, and/or upgrades that are furnished by the committee, or recommended by the City Manager, will be presented to the City Council for consideration of funding no later than October of each year. The selected city project(s), city-sponsored event(s), and repairs, maintenance and/or upgrade(s), if approved, will be budgeted in the current fiscal year for completion.
The City Council retains all rights to approve any number of committee City Manager recommended city projects, city-sponsored events, or repairs, maintenance, and/or upgrades or designate any City Council designated projects, events, or repairs, maintenance, and/or upgrades, based upon the availability of Community Benefit Program. Aside from city-sponsored events, as defined in this policy, Community Benefit Program funds can be used in conjunction with other funding sources in order to bridge funding gaps in historically underfunded priorities based upon approval by the City Council; however, in no case should any appropriation of Community Benefit funds exceed the amount available from the previous fiscal year(s).
COMPLIANCE WITH CITY OF BARSTOW’S ADOPTED CONTRACT AND
PURCHASING POLICY
Community Benefit Program funds must be expended in accordance with the City's adopted Contract and Purchasing Policy.
UNAPPROPRIATED COMMUNITY BENEFIT FUNDS
After the initial approval of Community Benefit Funds in October, any remaining unappropriated Community Benefit Program funds collected in the prior fiscal year(s) can be considered for additional City Projects, City-Sponsored Events, or repairs, maintenance, and/or upgrades by the Community Benefit CommitteeCity Manager. The unappropriated funds can be distributed based upon the percentages discussed under the "Purpose" section of this policy. All proposed funding requests may be placed on a City Council agenda, per the approval of the City Manager, for consideration by the City Council for appropriation of available Community Benefit Program funds.
I, Andrea Flores, City Clerk of the City of Barstow and ex-officio Clerk of the City Council, DO HEREBY CERTIFY UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of City Council Policy Memorandum #2025-20 of said Council which was adopted at a regular meeting held October 21, 2025, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
________________________________ ___________________________ Andrea Flores, City Clerk Timothy R. Silva, Mayor
Cannabis Community Benefit Program Percentage Examples
Estimated $320K Estimated $320K Estimated $320K Estimated $320K Estimated $320K Estimated $320K % Amount % Amount % Amount % Amount % Amount % Amount
City Projects 50% $160,000 55% $176.00 60% $192,000 55% $208,000 80% $256,000 85% $256,000 City Sponsored
Community Events
40% $128,000 35% $112,000 30% $96,000 25% $80,000 15% $48,000 10% $32,000 Repairs,
Maintenance, and/or
Upgrades
10% $32,000 10$ $32,000 10% $32,000 10% $32,000 5% $16,000.00 5% $16,000 100% $320,000 100% $320,000 100% $320,000 100% $320,000 100% $320,000 100% $320,000