1 TERAN, STACY
From: Ashley Anderson <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 5, 2023 4:21 PM
To: CITY COUNCIL; CITY CLERK
Cc: Leah Ersoylu; Michelle Murphy
Subject: NMUSD Resolution Urging the City of Costa Mesa to limit the number of storefront cannabis dispensaries
Attachments:
Resolution 04-08-23.pdf
Hello City Council members,
On August 22, during our regularly scheduled board meeting, the Newport-Mesa Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution to urge the City of Costa Mesa to limit the number of storefront cannabis dispensaries. Since this matter has come up in recent planning commission and city council meetings, our board felt it timely to communicate our concerns about the current no-cap policy, and in making a bipartisan, 7-0 decision, we would like to offer a few ideas that we think could be beneficial to our local school community.
As stated in the resolution, we would like to recommend that this council:
a) institute a clear, restrictive cap on the maximum number of storefront dispensaries in the City of Costa Mesa,
b) create policy limiting the overconcentration of dispensaries in Costa Mesa communities, c) strengthen the current policy to include that dispensaries cannot be within 1,000 ft of youth centers and/or youth serving organizations, and
d) commit to investing a proportion of the tax revenue from the cannabis sales into youth services and/or programming.
We respectfully ask that as you discuss and give direction on this matter tonight, please take these recommendations into consideration and direct staff to explore options to update the ordinance to address these critical community concerns and implement a moratorium on new applications in the meantime.
Attached is a copy of our resolution.
Thank you for all that you do to serve our community. We are thankful for your partnership.
Best,
Ashley Anderson
President, Board of Education
Newport‐Mesa Unified School District
Resolution No. 04-08-23 Urging the City of Costa Mesa
to Limit the Number of Storefront Cannabis Dispensaries
WHEREAS, NMUSD is concerned for the safety, health and wellness of our students;
WHEREAS, NMUSD realizes that the environment in which our children commute to and from school and activities impacts that wellbeing;
WHEREAS, NMUSD has seen an increase in student risk-taking behaviors including cannabis use in recent years;
WHEREAS, NMUSD is concerned with the seemingly unhindered rate of cannabis storefront approvals permitted in recent years;
WHEREAS, NMUSD understands that Costa Mesa is one of only three cities in Orange County that allow storefront sales in the community and is reconsidering strengthening their current policy;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the NMUSD Board of Education urges the City of Costa Mesa to take action as referenced below;
a) institute a clear, restrictive cap on the maximum number of storefront dispensaries in the City of Costa Mesa,
b) create policy limiting the overconcentration of dispensaries in Costa Mesa communities, c) strengthen the current policy to include that dispensaries cannot be within 1,000 ft of youth centers and/or youth serving organizations and
d) commit to investing a proportion of the tax revenue from the cannabis sales into youth services and/or programming.
APPROVED, PASSED, AND ADOPTED by the Governing Board of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, this 22
nd day of August, 2023 by the following vote:
AYES: _______
NOES: _______
ABSTAIN: _______
ABSENT: _______
I, Ashley Anderson, hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the resolution that was regularly introduced, passed, and adopted by the Governing Board at its regular Board Meeting held on August 22, 2023.
NEWPORT-MESA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
By: ________________________________________
Ashley Anderson
Board President